5 important things happening in the UK today (1 June 2026)
Here are five important things happening in the UK on Monday (1 June 2026):
Concern over plans to use AI for asylum seekers
A coalition of more than a hundred refugee children’s organisations has said controversial plans to use AI to assess the age of young asylum seekers could lead to more children wrongly ending up in adult prisons or detention centres. The warning follows a Home Office announcement on Friday of a contract to roll out AI facial age estimation technology on young asylum seekers whose age is disputed. [Guardian]
Burnham opens door to general election
Andy Burnham, the Greater Manchester mayor who wants to replace Keir Starmer as UK prime minister this summer, has left open the possibility that he could call an early general election if he wins power. Labour Members of Parliament have speculated that Burnham, who is expected to challenge Starmer for his job if he wins a special parliamentary election this month, could seek his own mandate from the public. [Bloomberg]
Proposal to introduce a £5 deposit for vapes
Waste companies have called for a deposit of up to £5 to be charged on vapes to encourage people to dispose of them properly. Disposable vapes were banned a year ago, partly because of the issues they cause for bin lorries and waste facilities when thrown away with general rubbish. But the industry body for waste companies says vape recycling has not improved enough, so a small, refundable deposit at the point of purchase is a “simple, fair, efficient and cost-neutral solution”. [BBC]
Push for tech sovereignty away from the US
The founders behind some of Europe’s biggest technology success stories, including Revolut, Wayve and ElevenLabs, have launched a new push for European tech sovereignty as the continent seeks to build homegrown rivals to Silicon Valley. More than 100 startup founders and chief executives have joined a new ‘built in Europe’ campaign spearheaded by venture capital giant Balderton Capital, arguing Europe now has the talent, capital and ambition needed to create the world’s next generation of tech leaders. [CityAM]
Financial news
Brent crude futures climbed above $93 per barrel on Monday, recovering part of last week’s losses as uncertainty continued to cloud prospects for a peace agreement between the US and Iran. On Monday, Oil was trading higher at $89.90. The pound is trading at $1.35, €1.16, and ¥9.11.
