Keir Starmer’s AI tsar to step down after six months in role
Keir Starmer’s artificial intelligence tsar, a key figure in steering the government’s approach to artificial intelligence, is stepping down after six months in the role,Matt Clifford, the author of the government’s AI opportunities action plan, said he would leave his post next month for personal reasons,He described his work on drafting and implementing the 50-point plan as a “privilege”, adding he was “hugely optimistic about the UK’s potential to be an AI superpower”,“For family reasons, I will step back from my role as the prime minister’s adviser on AI opportunities at the end of July, but I’m delighted that this important work will continue across government,”A government spokesperson said Starmer had thanked Clifford, who was appointed in January, for his “dedicated work” on AI policy.
“We will be building on this work to bolster AI expertise across government and cement the UK’s position as a world leader in AI,” the spokesperson said,Clifford came to prominence as a tech investor – he is the chair of the investment firm Entrepreneurs First – but was already established as an influential political adviser before Labour won the 2024 general election,The 39-year-old played a crucial role in organising the global AI Safety summit, hosted by Rishi Sunak in 2023, and establishing the government’s AI Safety Institute, now called the AI Security Institute,Clifford published the action plan in January and its recommendations were accepted in full by the government,They included: creating AI “growth zones” to host datacentres that are the “central nervous system” of the technology; embedding AI in the public sector; and creating “national champion” AI companies.
The plan also recommended changes to the UK’s copyright regime, reflecting the need for AI companies to use copyright-protected data to train their systems.Sign up to Headlines UKGet the day’s headlines and highlights emailed direct to you every morningafter newsletter promotionThe issue has become a battleground between the government and the tech sector on one side and the creative industries on the other, who argue that it poses a serious threat to creative professionals’ livelihoods.Beeban Kidron, a crossbench peer and a leading campaigner against the proposed copyright changes, criticised the government for taking guidance from tech sector-linked advisers such as Clifford.At the time, sources told the Guardian that Clifford had agreed not to buy or sell any of the companies he part-owns while working for the government, or to be involved in decisions on new investments made by Entrepreneurs First.
UK grocery watchdog investigating Amazon over alleged supplier payment delays; company insolvencies jump – as it happened
Despite UK government borrowing slightly undershooting forecasts so far this financial year, tax rises in the autumn are likely.That’s the view of City consultancy Capital Economics, who told clients this morning:Despite the overshoot in May, public borrowing was £2.9bn below the OBR’s forecast in the first two months of the fiscal year. That said, the OBR may still revise up its borrowing forecasts from March in the Autumn Budget.That and already-tight spending plans mean tax hikes later this year appear increasingly likely
Reeves may need to raise taxes by £20bn in autumn after UK borrowing rises
Rachel Reeves may need to raise taxes by more than £20bn in the autumn budget after figures showed the government’s spending deficit reached £17.7bn in May, the second highest on record for the month.Analysts said a sharp increase in tax receipts had still fallen short of forecasts by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) and given an indication of the weakness underpinning the public finances.The chancellor’s plans are also likely to be upended in the autumn when the budget watchdog is expected to revise down economic growth, further limiting the rise in tax receipts, and include higher borrowing costs, which are already above £100bn a year.The combined effect would be to wipe out Reeves’s £10bn “rainy day” buffer in the public finances and create another large financial hole, possibly as large as £10bn to £20bn
Trump signs order granting TikTok a third reprieve from US ban
Donald Trump has signed an executive order to delay the ban or sale of TikTok for the third time. The order gives the Chinese-owned social media company another 90 days to find a buyer or be banned in the US.“I’ve just signed the Executive Order extending the Deadline for the TikTok closing for 90 days (September 17, 2025),” the president said in a Truth Social post.Trump’s first executive order giving TikTok a reprieve came on his first day in office – just three days after the supreme court ruled to uphold the ban. Trump issued the second executive order in April
UK Uber drivers’ earnings cut after changes to secretive algorithm
Many Uber drivers are earning “substantially less” an hour since the ride hailing app introduced a “dynamic pricing” algorithm in 2023 that coincided with the company taking a significantly higher share of fares, research has revealed.The findings are in a study released on Thursday by academics at the University of Oxford. They analysed data provided by 258 UK Uber drivers responsible for 1.5m trips.Having initially taken a fixed 20% cut of the UK fares charged, which subsequently rose to 25%, Uber introduced dynamic pricing in 2023, an algorithm that variably sets pay for drivers and fares for passengers
Lions handed wake-up call as Argentina hang on to edge thrilling win in Dublin
The 2025 British & Irish Lions tour is up and running but here was an abrupt reminder that not everything can be perfectly choreographed. This proved to be anything but a routine sendoff for the Lions coaches and players, who already have a good deal to reflect on as they head for Perth this weekend to embark on their eagerly awaited Australian tour.Should they win the Test series 3-0, of course, this pre-departure wake-up call will rate as only a minor footnote in the great scheme of things. The Wallabies, nevertheless, will have taken due note of both the historic result and the positive manner with which Argentina approached the contest. The Pumas, despite the absence of some first-choice players, led by 11 points at half-time and were good value for their history-making win
Impressive St Helens sink Leeds to relieve pressure on Paul Wellens
There are moments in any Super League season that can feel pivotal. Some are good, some are bad: some can even prove to be a false dawn and merely turn out to be indifferent. But if St Helens are to achieve anything this year, there is one moment here that will certainly rank as season-defining.Paul Wellens’ side, just as they have been for most of 2025, were nothing special in the opening half-hour against a Leeds team with genuine Grand Final aspirations once again. These two sides have 18 Super League titles between them but recently, there has been only one who has looked like claiming another
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