‘How long can the pain continue?’ Consumer confidence falls again April 23, 2026 Consumer confidence has fallen to its lowest level in more than two years, as fears grow that the UK economy could be ravaged by soaring inflation caused by the Iran war. A closely-watched survey conducted by research firm GfK found consumer confidence dropped by four points to -25 in April. The index is another warning [...]
Supermarkets pile pressure on government to cut energy costs April 23, 2026 Supermarkets are calling on the government to cut taxes on energy to help retailers dodge looming food inflation, with Sainsbury’s, Tesco, M&S and Asda piling pressure on Labour. The boss of Sainsbury’s, the UK’s second-largest grocer, became the latest industry figure to call for the Treasury to step in. On Thursday, the supermarket said it [...]
Civil servant defends Starmer over ‘due process’ on Mandelson April 23, 2026 A top Whitehall operator has appeared to defend Sir Keir Starmer’s insistence that due process was followed by the government in the appointment of Lord Peter Mandelson as US ambassador. Cat Little, the Cabinet Office’s chief operating officer, said that bureaucratic procedures around security and vetting were adhered to by the Prime Minister’s team at [...]
Inheritance tax receipts soar to all-time high April 23, 2026 Inheritance tax receipts soared to a record high over the last financial year as Labour’s targeting of property owners helped fund sweeping spending increases. Official data on Thursday morning showed that annual inheritance tax receipts rose to £8.5bn in the year between 2025 and 2026. This compared to total receipts of £8.3bn in the previous [...]
Aer Lingus slashes Summer schedule as Hormuz blockade bites April 23, 2026 Irish commercial darling Aer Lingus has cancelled hundreds of flights from its summer schedule amid growing jet fuel fears stemming from the blockade at the Strait of Hormuz. The airline is axing scheduled transatlantic, European, and local flights on various days over the coming weeks, according to the Irish Independent. Services set to be affected [...]
Economy boosted as Sport England reports record levels of activity April 23, 2026 Two thirds of the adult population are considered physically “active”, the highest level on record, according to Sport England’s latest annual survey. The proportion of adults meeting the Chief Medical Officers’ threshold of 150 minutes’ moderate intensity exercise per week has risen to 64.6 per cent, the Active Lives report found. Sport England says the [...]
Watch: Sluggish economy puts Brits at their gloomiest for nearly 50 years April 23, 2026 City AM‘s Editor, Christian May, reflects on recent polling that reveals Brits’ economic pessimism has reached depths not seen since 1978. From high taxes to sticky inflation and low growth, there is a strong sense that the country simply isn’t heading in the right direction.
Palantir boss rebuts Polanski’s wild NHS claims April 23, 2026 A senior Palantir Technologies executive has issued a scathing point-by-point rebuttal after a viral video by Green Party leader Zack Polanski criticised the firm’s role in the NHS and wider public sector. Louis Mosley, who leads Palantir in the UK and Europe, responded directly on X, challenging a series of claims made in the clip. [...]
Regulator fines PwC £95m over Chinese Evergrande audit April 23, 2026 The Hong Kong regulator fined PwC Hong Kong a landmark HK$1bn (£95m) for its role as auditor for the now-liquidated property giant, China Evergrande Group. Back in Janaury 2023, PwC resigned as Evergrande’s auditor following a series of disagreements with the heavily-indebted property developer over its audit of the firm’s 2021 accounts. This came after [...]
AI-focused services make up 40 per cent of BCG’s 2025 revenue April 23, 2026 The global revenue of the consultancy group Boston Consulting Group (BCG) reached $14.4bn (£10.6bn), a single-digit increase over the previous year, credited to AI. BCG reported seven per cent global revenue growth, rising to $14.4bn in 2025 from $13.5bn in 2024, marking its 22nd consecutive year of growth. The firm said its AI-and tech-focused services [...]