CBI: 200,000 more Brits to face unemployment this year as growth crumbles June 9, 2026 The UK economy is set for further pain in the months ahead, a top business group has warned, as consumers and businesses across the country suffer the effects of the Iran conflict, surging energy prices and a raft of government tax hikes. The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has said that around 200,000 more Brits [...]
Debt-saddled grads ‘risk earning less than minimum wage’ five years after leaving uni June 8, 2026 For nearly half of all university courses, those in the bottom quarter of the cohort end up earning less than minimum wage five years on from graduating, according to a new report on the outcomes crisis in higher education. The think tank Policy Exchange has found that rampant grade inflation and an explosion in university [...]
Pat McFadden: I have not apologised to Rachel Reeves over ‘tax to pay benefits’ text June 8, 2026 Welfare secretary Pat McFadden has doubled down on his remarks unearthed in the Mandelson files that “every meeting [he has] is ‘who can we tax in order to pay benefits to others’”. The Cabinet minister was among numerous top officials to have his private messages released in documents relating to Lord Mandelson’s stint as the [...]
Nationwide boss Debbie Crosbie banks £4.7m payday after Virgin Money deal June 8, 2026 The boss of Nationwide has seen her pay almost double since the building society’s blockbuster takeover of Virgin Money. Debbie Crosbie, who has steered the mutual since 2022, bagged a £4.7m pay packet in the last financial year, up from £2.5m the year prior. The mammoth uplift was driven by the cash and bonuses from [...]
Banks call for ‘political mandate’ to bolster European defence June 8, 2026 The banking industry has issued a rallying call for a “political mandate” from the UK and EU in a bid to get regulators to open the taps to a fresh flood of defence financing. A new report from UK Finance – which represents the nation’s financial services giants from Lloyds to Revolut – has called [...]
‘Why single out banks?’: Santander chief hits out at UK tax regime June 8, 2026 The boss of Santander has branded the UK’s tax regime on banks as making “no economic sense” as speculation mounts that the industry could be turned to for a quick cash grab if the Labour government lurches to the left. Ana Botín, the chief executive of the Spanish banking giant, has said the UK tax [...]
As it happened: Stocks and oil recover as Iran declares end to strikes; tech rally rocks markets June 8, 2026 Good morning and welcome back to the City AM liveblog. The FTSE 100 edged into the green on Monday lunchtime and US futures pointed to gains, as the markets looked to claw back early jitters caused by fresh Middle East strikes and a tech stock sell-off. An exchange of fire from Iran and Israel left [...]
Food inflation: First signs of energy cost surge feed through to supermarket shelves as discounts fail to stem price growth June 8, 2026 Supermarket food inflation has risen significantly for the first time this year, a City AM analysis has found, flashing an early warning sign that the surge in energy and freight costs triggered by war in Iran is reaching shelf prices in the UK. City AM reporters gather data on around 200 prices of products across [...]
Jobs slump as economy ‘held up by uncertainty’ June 8, 2026 The UK jobs market has been handed another blow as businesses ditch permanent hires as the economy battles against domestic and international uncertainty. The latest jobs report from KPMG and REC, the professional body for recruiters, showed hiring for permanent places dropped to a reading of 44.1 in May, which sits below the neutral 50 [...]
As it happened: US jobs smash forecasts; Stocks in green amid cloudy US-Iran peace talks June 5, 2026 Welcome back to the City AM liveblog. Speculation around a peace deal between the US and Iran is continuing to leave markets struggling for direction as hopes of an official agreement face roadblocks. A current draft of a memorandum of understanding between Iran and the US has ambiguities that have to be clarified, an adviser [...]