‘Clear risk signal’: Gilt yields hit 28-year high as investors weigh Starmer’s future after local elections May 5, 2026 Gilt yields have risen to their highest rate since 1998 as investors weigh the odds of Keir Starmer being ousted following what is widely expected to be a major defeat for Labour at the local elections. The yield on 30-year government bonds rose 11 basis points on Tuesday to hit 5.76 per cent, topping the [...]
Jim Ratcliffe warns Britain’s energy policy is ‘all over the place’ as Ineos explores North America with Shell May 5, 2026 Europe and the UK’s approach to energy policy is “all over the place” and eroding the region’s security and growth prospects, Jim Ratcliffe has said in an announcement confirming Ineos’s plans to expand its oil and gas operations in the Gulf of Mexico. In a statement announcing Ineos’s fresh investment in the US alongside Shell, [...]
Fifa World Cup sponsors outperform FTSE 100 and S&P 500 May 5, 2026 Major Fifa World Cup sponsors outperform FTSE 100 returns by a factor of five and the S&P 500 by three as brands look to dominate the conversation during the tournament. IG research looking at the performance of major World Cup sponsors saw an average return of 7.1 per cent during tournament cycles – from 30 [...]
Gen Z don’t want meaningless work – but that might be a good thing May 5, 2026 Gen Z will not accept meaningless work, nor should they. The burgeoning industry of green jobs could be the answer.
Controversial £2bn packaging tax could be scrapped as food inflation looms May 5, 2026 The government is reviewing a controversial £2bn sustainable packaging tax as it faces increasing pressure from retailers to prevent food prices from soaring. The Treasury is reportedly looking at potential changes to the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) tax, which requires large businesses to pay towards the cost of disposing of their packaging. Retailers have been [...]
Rachel Reeves battled Scott Bessent over Iran war May 5, 2026 Chancellor Rachel Reeves sparred with Donald Trump’s Treasury secretary Scott Bessent over the US’s attacks on Iran, it has been reported. During her stay in Washington DC for meetings at the International Monetary Fund last month, Reeves hit out at the Trump official for “how he had spoken to her.” The two sparred over the [...]
Channel 4 puts HQ up for sale as London footprint shrinks May 5, 2026 Channel 4 has formally placed its long-standing Horseferry Road headquarters on the market, as the broadcaster presses ahead with a major overhaul of its London footprint under new chief executive Priya Dogra. The move marks the broadcast giant’s latest step in a long-term transformation strategy designed to modernise the organisation, cut costs and reflect changing [...]
Local growth is not a zero-sum game May 5, 2026 Hubs like Oxford and Cambridge don't operate in isolation. Nurturing their growth will benefit Liverpool, Manchester and Sheffield too.
Intertek shares rocket as Swedish private equity firm hikes bid for the company May 5, 2026 Shares in laboratory testing company Intertek rocketed in morning trading on Tuesday after Swedish private equity firm EQT launched a fresh £8.9bn bid for the company. The stock jumped 7.4 per cent to £51.61p, with shares up 13.3 per cent since the start of the year, after the Swedish firm proposed its third offer to [...]
London Marathon ballots entries double in two years to record 1.34m May 5, 2026 The London Marathon has broken its own world record for applications after demand more than doubled in just two years. A total of 1,338,544 people entered the ballot for next year’s London Marathon, which opened just before this year’s race nine days ago. That number represented an 18 per cent year-on-year increase and more than [...]