Here’s your UK news roundup for Tuesday (14 April 2026):
Former Nato chief says UK’s national security ‘in peril’
A key government adviser will accuse the UK’s leaders of “corrosive complacency” towards defence and warn the country’s security is “in peril”. Lord George Robertson, the former Nato secretary general who wrote the government’s Strategic Defence Review (SDR), will use a speech later on Tuesday to accuse “non-military experts in the Treasury” of “vandalism”. The government has promised to publish a 10-year defence investment plan to fund the SDR’s vision but it has been repeatedly delayed. [BBC]
UK households to be urged to use more power this summer as renewables soar
Households will be called on to boost their consumption of Great Britain’s record renewable energy this summer to help balance the power grid and lower energy bills. Under the new plans, people could be encouraged to run dishwashers and washing machines or charge up their electric vehicles when there is more wind and solar power than the electricity grid needs. The plan will be delivered with the help of energy suppliers, which may choose to offer heavily discounted or free electricity to their customers during specific periods when the energy system operator predicts there will be a surplus of electricity. [Guardian]
Farage fronts £2 million bitcoin purchase
Reform UK’s Nigel Farage has fronted a £2 million purchase of bitcoin by the Kwasi Kwarteng-led crypto company Stack BTC despite the cryptocurrency’s price tumbling over recent months. Farage was filmed in a promotional video for the crypto reserves firm buying around £2m of Bitcoin, with the business stating that the political leader was the first sitting MP to “publicly buy bitcoin”. The SW1 disruptor stood alongside Stack BTC chairman Kwasi Kwarteng, who briefly served as UK chancellor during Liz Truss’ short premiership. [CityAM]
Concerns about the UK’s reliance on big tech
The UK is over-reliant on a small number of big tech companies to provide critical datacentres, software and digital infrastructure, placing national security at risk, according to a report by the Open Rights Group (ORG). The report, which is backed by a number of MPs, warned that the UK’s dependency on US big tech companies places the UK at risk as relations between the two countries have become strained. Rifts between the UK and the US over the conduct of the US and Israel’s war with Iran, if they are exacerbated, could expose the UK to threats of US sanctions that could impact critical infrastructure, the report said. [Computer Weekly]
Financial news
On Tuesday, Oil was trading lower at $97.88. The pound is trading at $1.35, €1.15, and ¥9.23.
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