Richard Desmond’s gamble fails as the Competition Appeal Tribunal rules against his Subsidy Control challenge… My thoughts on this case can be read at: www.linkedin.com/posts/alexan...

State funding for airports and airlines will be in the news next week - Bristol Airport is bringing a Subsidy Control case in the Competition Appeal Tribunal claiming £206m of public funding has been unlawfully awarded by the Welsh Government. www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk/projects-and...

There’s a knotty dilemma at the heart of devolution. Had the North had received the same per head public funding as London 2007 - 2017 then the region would be £59bn richer. To make up for this, more powers and funds have been given. But is that fair to London & can both areas grow simultaneously?

Fraser Nelson’s article explains the X algorithm and why it is so damaging. Every post is scored for engagement, but then the algorithm rewards abuse / hollow claims - anything that draws a response from the original poster, amplifying whatever polarises the most… www.thetimes.com/article/d65a...

Sad news that Sir Alec Reed has died. He genuinely did help revolutionise charitable giving. He died on #GivingTuesday when the charity he founded (the Big Give) runs a Christmas Challenge event - last year it raised £44.7m benefiting 1,267 charities. fundraising.co.uk/2025/12/03/b... #News

The EU has openly criticised the UK’s Subsidy Control regime at the WTO. There’s long been concerns that the UK’s enforcement regime is weak, but this public criticism marks an escalation and does not bode well for post-Brexit trade talks next year. www.lexxion.eu/uksci/the-eu...

Subsidy control law – does the Zenobē case prove that the UK’s enforcement regime is finally taking off? Our article on this challenge to energy storage subsidies and what it means for the UK’s own post-Brexit State aid system. www.wardhadaway.com/insights/upd...

Subsidy Control law appears to protect the UK’s taxpayers from Donald Trump’s attempts to squeeze $5bn from the BBC. The organisation won’t have this kind of cash, so if the government wanted to step in it would have to justify such a payment, most likely to the CMA.

Delighted to be speaking at the Westminster Business Forum tomorrow on the subject of what’s likely to change in the UK Subsidy Control regime in the next 18 months. Hopefully policy makers will attend, because there’s an opportunity to create a more effective regime.

Apologies to Winston Churchill for “repurposing” his famous appeasement quote, but it sums up how many people see AI when it’s introduced to their businesses. The challenge is addressing those concerns in a way that gives assurance that the #AI being introduced in a manner that is beneficial.

An AI user is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last.

Who marks the “I am not a robot” test? Surely it’s a robot… This is not the full-proof system it is being presented as.

Not how I remember Olaf Scholz, but I guess these things are subjective…

Today the EU publicly expressed concerns about the effectiveness of the UK's Subsidy Control regime. The weakness of the regime (in particular regulation and enforcement) is likely to be raised in the 5 year review of the #Brexit trade agreement in 2026.

The UK’s Subsidy Control regime helps ensure public funding isn’t wasted or used in ways that damages the competitiveness of businesses. Yet, there’s a big problem with the regime - the enforcement processes aren’t working in the way Parliament expected. A short 🧵….

The obvious point is that every Prime Minister is extensively lobbied & this one was open to it. Oh & he’s now a multi-millionaire…

The government has launched the 'Pride in Place Programme' under which 339 deprived communities across the country will be entrusted with over £5bn of public funding. Decisions will be made by local people, but what safeguards will be put in place? lnkd.in/eKa9RtrS

Today the North East Combined Authority cabinet met to discuss: - a bid to host the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2035; - the creation of a Mayoral Development Corporation for Newcastle and Gateshead; and - something sufficiently secret to be exempt from disclosure…

Since 2012 only six Mayoral Development Corporations have been created - but that’s about to change with at least five about to be announced. That includes one in Birmingham that’ll help realise Tom Brady’s stadium plans & another co-chaired by Steve Coogan.

There’s a different angle to this story. In the digital economy the value of data is enormous & governments hold large amounts of data. EU State aid rules limit how EU member states can award data to businesses - so was this a meeting to share the spoils of the Brexit initiative?

Has Liz Truss joined Reform yet? Or is that not allowed to happen in case people realise that Reform is basically the Conservative Party right wing from October 2024 plus UKIP’s Nigel Farage?

EU companies (as well as companies from other non-EU countries doing business in the EU) are also subject to EU competition and State aid law. It would be discrimination against *them* to exempt American companies doing business in the EU from these laws.

By Andy Singer

New post just out: "Britain isn't broken" We have our problems but the doomerism is getting out of hand. I look at the real picture on crime, migration, social cohesion and the economy - rather than the dsyoptian fantasies of the radical right. (£/free trial) open.substack.com/pub/samf/p/b...

A year before MPs debate the effectiveness of the UK’s Subsidy Control regime, a case has emerged raising serious questions about whether an enforcement body is needed. The case involves Cambridgeshire County Council “restructuring” a £120m loan into a £60m grant. 🧵 1/6

The US needs better laws to regulate subsidies - the Washington stadium deal is yet another example of this. A $1.1bn taxpayer subsidy has been offered to create a 65,000 stadium. Contrast that with the UK or EU where Subsidy Control / State aid laws stop such wasteful public funding.

Northern voters want greater devolution due to stories like this. In 2021, Ministers in London secretly cancelled plans to dual part of the A1 in Northumberland & kept it from voters. This was at a time when public funding for transport was £1,182 per Londoner but just £486 per Northerner.

The FIFA Club World Cup could be a source of embarrassment for the European Commission. Qatari owned Paris St Germain are still under investigation under the EU Foreign Subsidies Regulation (although there are reports the European Commission is trying to quietly drop La Liga’s complaint).

Airport subsidies are often challenged under EU State aid law. The UK’s Subsidy Control regime is now being used to challenge an enormous £205m subsidy to Cardiff Airport. An article on the case written with Jonathan Branton can be found at: dwfgroup.com/en/news-and-... #News #SubsidyControl #Law

🚨 𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄 𝐖𝐄 𝐆𝐎! A major Subsidy Control case is about to be listed by the Competition Appeal Tribunal… 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 ✈️

Subsidy Control law aims to drive better decision making by public authorities when it comes to using taxpayer money to support businesses. Therefore it’s pleasing to see this report stating the Treasury was blocked from offering an unlimited guarantee to the Post Office by the Subsidy Control Act.

I’m lucky enough to have worked on a few projects involving the #Space sector. Today I’m at the North East Space Conference 2025 to learn more about this fast growing part of the economy - estimated to be worth £1.45 trillion in ten years' time…. #SpaceTech #Innovation #NEFollowers

Some breaking news for Subsidy Control practitioners - the government has revealed the date on which it plans to increase the referral threshold for subsidies to be reviewed by the CMA from £10m to £25m. If you want to know more, visit - lnkd.in/eWBNfM_V.

This week the UK’s second case under the Subsidy Control Act 2022 will be heard in the Competition Appeal Tribunal. A short 🧵 about the #SubsidyControl case of Weis v Greater Manchester Combined Authority. 1/

Another Subsidy Control case looks to be moving into the arrivals area… Bristol airport has instructed lawyers and appears about to launch a Subsidy Control challenge against the Welsh Government’s plan to use £205m to expand Cardiff Airport. 1/2

Tucked away in this article is a reference to Bristol Airport submitting a ‘Pre-Action Information Request’ under s. 76 of the Subsidy Control Act 2022. This extends the period for a challenge to be brought against the £205m Cardiff Airport subsidy. www.business-live.co.uk/enterprise/b...

Transport for London has excluded a bidder from a public procurement process after finding that it has rowed back on its Diversity, Equality and Inclusion goals. www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk/procurement-...

The Competition and Markets Authority want your views and experiences on the effectiveness of the Subsidy Control regime, ahead of drafting a report for Parliament early next year. For more information visit: tinyurl.com/CMAInpit

The £205m subsidy from the Welsh Government to Cardiff International Airport has been awarded and published on the national transparency database. What this means in practice is that competitors have one month from the date of publication to bring a challenge or be time barred.

The biggest gap in the UK’s Subsidy Control regime is a slick transparency website that places information onto search engines (where competitors are likely to become aware of subsidy awards to their rivals). Until that’s fixed, there will be question marks over the effectiveness of the regime.

The Bus Services (Wales) Bill could put the cat amongst the pigeons in terms of Subsidy Control. Bus subsidies are normally chosen following a procurement, but this draft legislation disapplies this requirement.

The Steel Industry (Special Measures) Bill is: • an example of #Securonomics in action; • step one of a process which is likely to involve nationalisation and subsidies; and • going to cause concern amongst other foreign investors unless handled very carefully. dwfgroup.com/en/news-and-...

If we really are seeing the “end of globalisation” then Subsidy Control law is of greater importance. That’s because it’s a route to give assurance to trade partners (to reduce tariffs) but also a way to ensure hard earned taxpayer funds are directed towards appropriate activities.

The evolution of devolution? Two Mayoral Combined Authorities have teamed up to strike a partnership deal with leading space company. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Several combined authorities have announced plans to take control of buses. It’s tricky from a Subsidy Control perspective (and it’ll be interesting to see if any bus providers do challenge) but if it can be proved to improve services then it’ll popular with voters.

Manchester United’s plans for a new 100,000 seater stadium have kicked off a discussion about the role of public funding in supporting sports stadia. In this article, Jonathan Branton & I review the regeneration benefits of such projects and how to satisfy Subsidy Control law. tinyurl.com/Manustad

Will Manchester United secure public funding for “New Trafford” and, if so, could we see a Subsidy Control challenge brought by a rival team? If I was advising any of the parties this would be a key consideration in any advice…

A big moment in the history of warfare - this week the Ukraine launched an assault with a platoon-sized force of robots against the Russians.

There’s about to be a scramble amongst public authorities across the UK to obtain AI Growth Zone designation and funding. Here’s a quick guide to what being an #AIGZ will involve: dwfgroup.com/en/news-and-in…#AIGrowthZonene

Remember when it was either London or the area around Oxford & Cambridge that got all the public investment? Well this sounds rather similar…