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UK entrepreneur makes £500,000 political donation to Restore Britain

Simon Galbraith says Rupert Lowe’s party can ‘spark a British renaissance’ if it gets into power

The hard-right Restore Britain party has got its first major donation of £500,000 from an IT entrepreneur in a sign it may continue to pose a threat to Nigel Farage’s Reform UK.

Rupert Lowe, an MP who left Reform UK before starting his own party, announced on Tuesday that the British businessman Simon Galbraith had contributed two donations of £250,000 this year.

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© Photograph: Christopher Thomond/The Guardian

© Photograph: Christopher Thomond/The Guardian

© Photograph: Christopher Thomond/The Guardian

After a reckoning and the toppling, what is replacing Britain’s symbols of empire?

1 September 2026 at 17:30

In this month’s newsletter: communities are reshaping how empire is remembered in public life. Plus, holding royalty to account in Jamaica and repairing centuries of harm in California

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Hello and welcome to the Cotton Capital newsletter. I’m Nadine White and this month we’re asking: after the toppling, what comes next?

Britain spent much of 2020 arguing about what should come down. Statues of enslavers and colonial figures were toppled, defaced or quietly removed. Edward Colston ended up in Bristol harbour. Robert Milligan was taken down outside London’s Museum of Docklands, while campaigners renewed calls for Cecil Rhodes to come off his plinth at Oriel College, Oxford. But six years on, one of the most persistent battles is still playing out.

How slavery reparations could help make yearning to return to Africa a reality | Natricia Duncan

British corporation continued trafficking of enslaved Africans to Guyana 40 years after abolition | Chris Osuh

Trafficked on the last US slave ship, Cudjo Lewis never returned home to Benin. But his descendant has | Adria Walker

Moringa lattes and tigernut kebabs: the Ghanaians ‘taking back the power’ of their food | Kaamil Ahmed

Sydney’s sugar rush: how the colony’s most powerful profited from Australia’s slave trade | Paul Daley

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© Composite: Getty Images

© Composite: Getty Images

© Composite: Getty Images

Dyson launches £420 toothbrush that films ‘live cleaning footage’ inside your mouth

1 September 2026 at 17:39

James Dyson says ‘complete dental system’ will also include toothpaste and mouth rinse that each cost £8.50

It is the live stream you never wanted to see but may find impossible to resist: rolling footage beamed live from inside your mouth while you are cleaning your teeth.

Dyson, the home appliance maker that made its name inventing bagless vacuums and bladeless fans, has turned its attention to oral hygiene with a £420 all-singing, all-dancing toothbrush that can clean, floss and even spray tiny jets of mouthwash.

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© Photograph: Doug Peters/PA

© Photograph: Doug Peters/PA

© Photograph: Doug Peters/PA

High winds during El Niño could be deadly for England’s stressed trees, say experts

Head of tree collections at Kew ‘very worried about this autumn’ as hot, dry summer has caused brittleness

High winds associated with El Niño could cause widespread mortality among tree species already weakened by a prolonged period of extreme heat and drought, experts have warned.

This summer much of Europe has been scorched by a series of record-breaking climate crisis-induced heatwaves. The impact is notable across much of England’s countryside, where once green land has turned brown, and many trees are undergoing “early autumn” – wilting and losing their leaves early – to cope with extreme heat.

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© Photograph: Maureen McLean/Shutterstock

© Photograph: Maureen McLean/Shutterstock

© Photograph: Maureen McLean/Shutterstock

Autistic boy who took replica knife to school has exclusion quashed by high court

1 September 2026 at 17:00

Boy’s mother says she hopes case will help others, as judge says exclusion should be ‘a tool of last resort’

The mother of a 10-year-old autistic boy who had his permanent exclusion from a primary school quashed by the high court has said she hopes the ruling helps other children.

The boy, who cannot be named, was permanently excluded from his primary school, part of the Lift academy chain, after coming to school in July 2025 with a replica butterfly knife, which he handed to a friend to use against another child during an altercation in the playground.

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© Photograph: AlexLinch/Getty Images/iStockphoto

© Photograph: AlexLinch/Getty Images/iStockphoto

© Photograph: AlexLinch/Getty Images/iStockphoto

High winds during El Niño could be deadly for England’s stressed trees, say experts

1 September 2026 at 17:00

Head of tree collections at Kew ‘very worried about this autumn’ as hot, dry summer has caused brittleness

High winds associated with El Niño could cause widespread mortality among tree species already weakened by a prolonged period of extreme heat and drought, experts have warned.

This summer much of Europe has been scorched by a series of record-breaking climate crisis-induced heatwaves. The impact is notable across much of England’s countryside, where once green land has turned brown, and many trees are undergoing “early autumn” – wilting and losing their leaves early – to cope with extreme heat.

Continue reading...

© Photograph: Maureen McLean/Shutterstock

© Photograph: Maureen McLean/Shutterstock

© Photograph: Maureen McLean/Shutterstock

Raise the Colours member denies murder of man in Staffordshire

1 September 2026 at 16:37

Billy Allison, 36, pleads not guilty to charge over Matthew O’Gara’s death after incident outside Lichfield bar

A man accused of murdering a businessman outside a bar in Staffordshire has pleaded not guilty.

Billy Allison, 36, a member of the flag-raising group Raise the Colours, appeared at Stafford crown court on Tuesday and entered not guilty pleas to the murder of Matthew O’Gara and to causing grievous bodily harm with intent to a second person.

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© Photograph: Staffordshire Pollice

© Photograph: Staffordshire Pollice

© Photograph: Staffordshire Pollice

Raise the Colours member denies murder of man in Staffordshire

Billy Allison, 36, pleads not guilty over Matthew O’Gara’s death following alleged assault in Lichfield

A man accused of murdering a businessman after an alleged assault outside a bar in Staffordshire has pleaded not guilty.

Billy Allison, 36, a member of the flag-raising group Raise the Colours, appeared at Stafford crown court on Tuesday and entered not guilty pleas to the murder of Matthew O’Gara and to causing grievous bodily harm with intent to a second alleged victim.

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© Photograph: Staffordshire Pollice

© Photograph: Staffordshire Pollice

© Photograph: Staffordshire Pollice

Summer of 2026 was UK’s hottest on record, Met Office says

Meteorologists say mean average temperature of 16.5C was made 130 times more likely by climate crisis

This year’s summer was the UK’s hottest on record, according to provisional data, and the Met Office said the season’s mean temperature was made 130 times more likely by the climate crisis.

Record-breaking and back-to-back heatwaves have scorched much of Europe. In England, temperatures peaked at 38.1C (100.1F) at Kew Gardens in London on 13 August, and June had already been confirmed as the country’s hottest since records began in 1884. Scientists have said these heatwaves are only possible because of the climate crisis driven by burning fossil fuels.

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© Photograph: Tolga Akmen/EPA

© Photograph: Tolga Akmen/EPA

© Photograph: Tolga Akmen/EPA

Gaps in NHS end-of-life care ‘denying ill children chance to die at home’

Campaigners say some care boards in England flouting their legal duty, resulting in ‘cruel’ postcode lottery

Seriously ill children are being denied the chance to die at home because the NHS in many parts of England is flouting its legal duty to provide the care needed to make that happen, critics say.

The widespread failure to provide at-home end-of-life care is forcing children who want to die at home to instead do so in hospital. Campaigners have described it as “cruel”.

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© Photograph: none

© Photograph: none

© Photograph: none

Summer of 2026 was UK’s hottest on record, Met Office says

1 September 2026 at 18:36

Meteorologists say mean average temperature of 16.5C was made 130 times more likely by climate crisis

This year’s summer was the UK’s hottest on record, according to provisional data, and the Met Office said the season’s mean temperature was made 130 times more likely by the climate crisis.

Record-breaking and back-to-back heatwaves have scorched much of Europe. In England, temperatures peaked at 38.1C (100.1F) at Kew Gardens in London on 13 August, and June had already been confirmed as the country’s hottest since records began in 1884. Scientists have said these heatwaves are only possible because of the climate crisis driven by burning fossil fuels.

Continue reading...

© Photograph: Tolga Akmen/EPA

© Photograph: Tolga Akmen/EPA

© Photograph: Tolga Akmen/EPA

Prolific UK graffiti artist Helch dies

1 September 2026 at 14:44

Artist rose to prominence in 2018 by painting his eponymous tag in public spots across southern England

The street artist Helch, known for murals and tags across England, has died, his gallery has said.

He rose to prominence in 2018 by painting his eponymous tag in capital letters across a string of public spots in London as well as bridges on the M4, M1 and M25.

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© Photograph: Steve Cotton/Alamy

© Photograph: Steve Cotton/Alamy

© Photograph: Steve Cotton/Alamy

Prolific UK graffiti artist Helch dies

1 September 2026 at 14:44

Artist rose to prominence in 2018 by painting his eponymous tag in public spots across southern England

The street artist Helch, known for murals and tags across England, has died, his gallery has said.

He rose to prominence in 2018 by painting his eponymous tag in capital letters across a string of public spots in London as well as bridges on the M4, M1 and M25.

Continue reading...

© Photograph: Steve Cotton/Alamy

© Photograph: Steve Cotton/Alamy

© Photograph: Steve Cotton/Alamy

Keir Starmer to stand down as MP to focus on world affairs

Former PM says it is right time to go, which will trigger byelection that Greens’ Zack Polanski could target

Keir Starmer is to quit as the MP for Holborn and St Pancras, saying it is the right time for him to leave the Commons.

Starmer, who resigned as prime minister in July, told the Camden New Journal he wanted to focus on international affairs and “pass the baton to a successor”.

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© Photograph: Guglielmo Mangiapane/Reuters

© Photograph: Guglielmo Mangiapane/Reuters

© Photograph: Guglielmo Mangiapane/Reuters

UK long-term borrowing costs could halve chancellor’s budget headroom

Yield on 30-year gilts highest since 1998 as rout triggered by global factors underlines tricky backdrop John Healey faces

The chancellor’s headroom against Labour’s fiscal rules could be almost halved at his first budget if the current global bond sell-off persists into the autumn, economists say.

The UK’s long-term borrowing costs jumped to their highest level since early 1998 on Tuesday as investors dumped government bonds, betting on higher inflation.

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© Photograph: Stefan Rousseau/AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: Stefan Rousseau/AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: Stefan Rousseau/AFP/Getty Images

Keir Starmer to stand down as MP to focus on world affairs

Former PM says it is right time to go, which will trigger byelection that Greens’ Zack Polanski could target

Keir Starmer is to quit as the MP for Holborn and St Pancras, saying it is the right time for him to leave the Commons.

Starmer, who resigned as prime minister in July, told the Camden New Journal he wanted to focus on international affairs and “pass the baton to a successor”.

Continue reading...

© Photograph: Guglielmo Mangiapane/Reuters

© Photograph: Guglielmo Mangiapane/Reuters

© Photograph: Guglielmo Mangiapane/Reuters

London Stock Exchange to lose three more firms after takeover offers

1 September 2026 at 13:08

Latest purchases take value of deals to leave capital’s stock market this year past $100bn

Three more London-listed companies are set to be taken over as the value of deals removing firms from the capital’s under-pressure stock market so far this year passes $100bn (£74bn).

On Tuesday, Bodycote, the FTSE 250 industrials group that has been listed on the London Stock Exchange since 1972, agreed a £1.84bn takeover by the US private equity group Veritas.

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© Photograph: Jack Taylor/Reuters

© Photograph: Jack Taylor/Reuters

© Photograph: Jack Taylor/Reuters

UK house prices rise for first time since April, says Nationwide

1 September 2026 at 11:32

Average price of home rose 0.2% month on month in August to £275,465 as market awaits interest rate vote

UK house prices increased for the first time in four months in August, according to a leading index, as buyers and sellers remained in a “holding pattern” before an expected increase in interest rates later this year.

The average price of a British home rose 0.2% month on month in August to £275,465, the first increase since April, according to Nationwide. Analysts had forecast a 0.1% rise.

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© Photograph: John Morrison/Alamy

© Photograph: John Morrison/Alamy

© Photograph: John Morrison/Alamy

Burnham says Brexit brought ‘decade of low growth’ in first Commons address as prime minister – UK politics live

1 September 2026 at 19:38

PM says he has a ‘clear diagnosis of what has gone wrong’ with UK, and pays tribute to Keir Starmer after his predecessor quit parliament

My colleague Richard Partington, the Guardian’s senior economics correspondent, grew up, like Andy Burnham, in the Warrington suburb of Culcheth. He has been home to find out what people there are saying about the new PM.

Yesterday, Kemi Badenoch announced a reshuffle, replacing Mel Stride with Andrew Griffith as shadow chancellor and Priti Patel with Tom Tugendhat as shadow foreign secretary.

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© Photograph: parliamentlive.tv

© Photograph: parliamentlive.tv

© Photograph: parliamentlive.tv

Anger as BBC withdraws jobs promise for apprentices amid sweeping cuts

Exclusive: Some staff call decision a betrayal of young apprentices who are often selected to increase diversity

The BBC is facing internal anger after a group of apprentices were told they could no longer expect jobs they had been promised, as a result of the corporation’s sweeping cuts.

In a sign of the pressure the BBC is under to find savings, apprentices working with BBC News were told that “exceptional circumstances” meant the broadcaster could no longer stand by its pledge to find them permanent positions.

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© Photograph: SOPA Images/LightRocket/Getty Images

© Photograph: SOPA Images/LightRocket/Getty Images

© Photograph: SOPA Images/LightRocket/Getty Images

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