Julian Harris: Starmer Faces Business Chiefs as Tax Rise Bites
The British Chambers of Commerce told us a few weeks ago that a 'senior cabinet minister' would be addressing its annual conference, leading me to assume this was code for Rachel Reeves.
Instead, it was the Prime Minister himself who rocked up at the QEII Centre in Westminster this morning to face a crowd of not-entirely-impressed business leaders. Reeves, meanwhile, made sure she was 130 miles away in Tutbury, which Google Maps tells me is a place in Staffordshire.
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Wales rugby great Ken Owens just did something he said would make his grandparents prouder than playing for his nation
Former Welsh rugby star Ken Owens has said speaking at the Welsh Labour conference would have made his grandparents prouder than his playing days. The retired star, who had been rumoured to be standing as a Senedd candidate for Labour, is not going to stand for election to the Senedd in 2026. He introduced the First Minister, Eluned Morgan as a supporter as she went on stage to speak to party members at the Welsh Labour conference in Llandudno. Advertisement Owens, who comes from a longstanding Welsh Labour-supporting family, said he first met Eluned Morgan when he was out leafleting for her bid to the European Parliament when he was seven. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here . READ MORE: Tonight's rugby news as ex-Wales coach lands top Welsh club job and WRU pause women's game revamp READ MORE: Lions boss Andy Farrell issues Tomos Williams update after Wales star's injury "I've achieved a hell of a lot in my rugby career but for my grandparents, I think this would be a 'pinch-me' moment, they'd be even prouder I get to speak at Labour party conference," he said. Advertisement "Most of you know me from the rugby field, a few scrums, a few scars, and more than a few hard-fought wins, and for Labour going to be going through a few battles over the next couple of years, and we're in it together. "Being captain is so much more than leading the team. It's about carrying a nation, I was lucky enough to do that a few times on the rugby field. "A nation that sings together, that backs its own and believes in community, in graft and will never give up. that's not just rugby, that's Wales, that's Labour. "That's why I'm here. I was raised in a Labour household, with my grandparents where I first met Eluned. She wouldn't want me to say this but leafleting as a seven-year-old for her campaign to the European election. Advertisement "I grew up hearing about fairness, standing up for your community because that's the right thing to do. "That what Eluned Morgan gets. She's grounded, passionate, driven, she doesn't just talk about Wales but fights for it. "I've played for great coaches, the best leaders know it's about them, it's about building belief in the team, and that's Eluned, that's what she's doing in Welsh Labour, delivering for people on the things that matter most in their lives. "As a party we are proud of what we represent," he said. He said what got his rugby teams through tough times was "trust, teamwork, knowing who you're playing for, not yourself, the cap, the dragon, the people we represent. That's what we have to represent now," he said. Advertisement "Let's be honest, the opposition is fighting from the sidelines, but let's be honest, none of them are fit to lead this team," he said. In return, the First Minister - who arrived on stage to Don't Stop Me Now, by Queen, said she remembered meeting his mum and that his grandad was 'a Labour legend in Carmarthen'. "I will never forget though – the time when I was canvassing with a lovely woman in Carmarthen and I was telling her with real pride how I couldn't stay for more than an hour's campaigning because my son, who was 12, was going to be playing rugby in the Cardiff Arms Park for his school. '"Oh,' she asked, 'is he any good at rugby?' 'Well, he's alright,' I said. 'Oh, my son plays rugby too,' 'Oh, is he any good?' I asked...'Well, he's out playing with the Lions at the moment!!' That was Ken's lovely mum."
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Police 'assessing' comments made by Kneecap and Bob Vylan at Glastonbury
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I've been loading up on this cheap FTSE 100 share this week!
This week I bought some more shares in a FTSE 100 company that already features heavily in my portfolio. In fact, although I always want to keep my portfolio diversified, I decided that topping up my holding in this company when the share price looked particularly cheap could potentially prove to be a lucrative move. The FTSE 100 share in question is JD Sports (LSE: JD). Why am I so excited about it? Legendary investor Warren Buffett talks about buying into great companies at attractive prices. In my opinion, JD Sports currently ticks both those boxes. To start, consider the business. JD's focus is on selling clothes, shoes and other athletic goods. That is a large market and one that is likely to endure. The customer base also seems to be happy to shell out on pricy goods even when the economy is weak, something I see as a bonus although I do still fear that a deep enough economic downturn could hurt sales. JD Sports has built economies of scale and also has a substantial international reach. It has built a sizeable digital presence but not at the expense of abandoning bricks and mortar. In fact, it has been opening hundreds of stores in recent years and this month opened its largest one yet, at Manchester's Trafford Centre. With a strong brand, regular special products unique to JD, loyal customer base and ongoing growth plans, I reckon this is an outstanding business. But the road has had some bumps. Last year, JD sports issued profit warnings and it has reined in its aggressive store opening programme. A key supplier Nike has had a difficult few years and ongoing weakness in the brand's sales is a risk for JD Sports too given how big a proportion of its sales are of Nike products. But does that justify a share price in pennies? The FTSE 100 company has no debt (excluding lease liabilities) and a market capitalisation of £4.2bn. Yet last year's profit before tax and adjusting items came in at £0.9bn. To me, that makes the current share price in pennies look unreasonably cheap. In a tough market with uncertain risks like tariffs and unpredictable international shipping rates, the FTSE 100 company's profits this year and in subsequent years may not match last year's performance. However, I remain upbeat about the long-term story here. JD's investment in growth over recent years is paying rewards already as far as I am concerned. The next couple of years will see major sporting events that could help boost customer demand. The company has a proven model that is highly cash-generative and could help support further growth without the company needing to take on debt to fund it. As far as I am concerned, the current JD Sports share price is a bargain. I acted on it because I did not want to miss what I see as an excellent opportunity. The post I've been loading up on this cheap FTSE 100 share this week! appeared first on The Motley Fool UK. More reading 5 Stocks For Trying To Build Wealth After 50 One Top Growth Stock from the Motley Fool C Ruane has positions in JD Sports Fashion. The Motley Fool UK has recommended Nike. Views expressed on the companies mentioned in this article are those of the writer and therefore may differ from the official recommendations we make in our subscription services such as Share Advisor, Hidden Winners and Pro. Here at The Motley Fool we believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. Motley Fool UK 2025 Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
