Your commercial news round-up: Trump and BBC, NHS redundancies, UK nuclear power, UK music industry

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US President Donald Trump has issued a threat of legal proceedings against the BBC and 18,000 NHS staff face redundancy as part of sweeping reforms. Meanwhile, the UK is set to build its first small modular nuclear reactor in Wales and the country’s music industry has contributed a whopping record £8 billion to the economy. Read on for LCN’s picks of the top commercial stories this week!

• Donald Trump has threatened to sue the BBC for $1 billion, accusing the broadcaster of “defrauding the public”. Trump claimed that the BBC edited a 6 January 2021 speech in a Panorama episode to suggest he directly called for the US Capitol attack. The BBC, which has already apologised for the misleading edit, faces a Friday deadline to respond to Trump's legal action. The controversy aligned with the resignations of BBC Director General Tim Davie and Head of News Deborah Turness. According to The Guardian, the BBC is prepared to formally apologise to Trump to resolve the dispute while defending the integrity of its wider journalism. Legal experts have expressed doubt about Trump’s chances of winning a court case under Florida’s liberal libel laws, and the BBC faces the risk of political fallout from either settling or engaging in a public legal battle with the US president.
   
• Thousands of NHS staff are to be made redundant in England following a deal between the treasury and NHS England, which allowed the health service to overspend this year to cover £1 billion in redundancy costs. Around 18,000 administrative and managerial roles are set to go as NHS England is absorbed into the Department of Health and Social Care, alongside 50% staffing cuts to Integrated Care Boards. The Treasury had initially blocked requests for extra funding, but agreed to a compromise permitting temporary overspending, with the NHS expected to recover costs in future years. Health Secretary Wes Streeting said the reforms would prioritise frontline services by “slashing unnecessary bureaucracy, to reinvest the savings in frontline care”. NHS Providers Chief Daniel Elkeles called the agreement a “pragmatic step” and stated: “It reflects the flexibility of a three-year settlement, allowing some funding to be brought forward in order to generate future savings to go into frontline care.” However, the Royal College of Nursing’s Patricia Marquis said: “Frontline services need more investment, but to do this off the backs of making thousands of experts redundant is a false economy.”
   
• The UK government has announced plans to build its first small modular reactor (SMR) nuclear power station at Wylfa in north Wales. The move is expected to create up to 3,000 jobs, supply electricity to about three million homes and attract £2.5 billion in investment. Construction is due to begin next year, with power generation targeted for the mid 2030s. The project is operated by publicly owned Great British Energy–Nuclear and the facility will initially house three SMRs that could expand to eight. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer described the project as restoring Britain’s leadership in nuclear energy, after "years of neglect and inertia has meant places like Anglesey have been let down and left behind. Today, that changes." Great British Energy–Nuclear Chair Simon Bowen called the move “historic” and said: “These first SMRs at Wylfa will lay the groundwork for a fleet-based approach to nuclear development, strengthening the UK's energy independence and bringing long-term investment to the local economy."
   
• The UK music industry has contributed a record £8 billion to the national economy in 2024, according to UK Music’s annual report. The figure marks a 5% rise from 2023’s £7.6 billion, driven by major live events such as Taylor Swift’s Eras tour and Take That’s stadium performances. The total includes income from live shows, tourism, streaming, sales, commercial partnerships and other sources. Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said that she’s “deeply grateful for the role that the UK music industry plays” and highlighted the newly established Soft Power Council. The council, launched in January 2024 by former Foreign Secretary David Lammy and Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy, aims to strengthen international relationships and promote economic growth through culture, arts and sport. However, CEO of UK Music Tom Kiehl cautioned: “While it is brilliant news that the government now acknowledges music as a high-growth sub-sector, ultimately the government needs to be judged in terms of the progress it makes in regulating artificial intelligence and unlocking EU touring. The status quo on these two big issues is currently tilted against music’s interests.”

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