FTSE 100 Live: HSBC carries blue-chips; Starmer eyes China trade January 27, 2026 Good morning and welcome back to the City AM liveblog. Gold’s magnificent rally was continuing on Tuesday morning after breaking through the $5,100 mark for the first time. The flurry to safe haven assets notched up after Trump threatened Canada with 100 per cent tariffs if the country “made a deal with China”. Last week [...]
Profit warnings citing global upheaval hit ‘record high’ January 27, 2026 The proportion of profit warnings issued by UK-listed companies where bosses complain about policy uncertainty and geopolitics reached a record high last year, fresh analysis has shown. New data by EY has shown that 240 firms warned investors that profits would fall short of market expectations. Though this was the lowest figure since 2021 – [...]
Food prices to jump despite easing inflation predictions January 27, 2026 Food prices are projected to jump higher despite economists’ predictions of easing inflation, according to a fresh survey, which warned that soaring energy prices and taxes were exacerbating the cost of living for Britons. New data by the British Retail Consortium has suggested that food price inflation could rise at a faster pace, weighing heavily [...]
Save billions by reforming ‘unsustainable’ public sector pensions January 26, 2026 Moving new public sector employees onto defined contribution (DC) pension schemes could save taxpayers £37bn a year in the long run, a new report has found. The report, produced by Policy Exchange, argues that moving public sector workers onto a DC scheme would also send an “important signal” to the bond market that the government [...]
Jobless graduates claiming benefits totals 700,000, report says January 26, 2026 The number of unemployed graduates claiming benefits now totals 700,000, a new report has estimated, with blame being laid on the UK education system’s “obsession” with getting young people into university. Fresh analysis by the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) has found the number of jobless graduates receiving welfare support was nearing three quarters of [...]
Andy Haldane: Labour has ‘no nose for business’ January 26, 2026 The Labour government lacks anyone with a “nose for business”, Andy Haldane, the former chief economist of the Bank of England, has said in his latest critique against ministers’ quest for growth. Haldane, whose criticism of Budget leaks last year added to pressure on Rachel Reeves, has taken aim at ministers leading Labour’s growth mission [...]
Labour erupts into civil war after Starmer allies block Burnham’s by-election bid January 25, 2026 The Labour party was thrown into a civil war on Sunday after a group of Keir Starmer’s closest allies on the ruling committee blocked Andy Burnham from standing in the forthcoming by-election in the North West. Labour’s National Executive Committee (NEC) voted in an eight to one ruling against Burnham on Sunday meaning the metro [...]
Reeves told City at ‘critical juncture’ after claims of golden age January 25, 2026 Rachel Reeves has been handed a firm warning that Britain’s financial ecosystem is facing a “critical juncture” even after the Chancellor touted a “golden age” of opportunity for the City. The Chancellor faces a call to action following a report from lobby group TheCityUK and Big Four consultancy giant PwC revealing the “hard truth” that [...]
Burnham launches bid to stand as Labour MP in by-election January 24, 2026 Andy Burnham has confirmed he will run to stand as a candidate for Labour in the Gorton and Denton by-election after Andrew Gwynne resigned as an MP. The Manchester Mayor’s application to stand as a candidate now gives senior Labour figures a fresh headache given his openness around his leadership ambitions. He has already received [...]
Investor hits out at Peter Kyle for ‘picking winners’ January 24, 2026 Business secretary Peter Kyle has come under fire over his admission the government would be “picking winners” across the UK economy. The former Gail’s and Pizza Express investor Luke Johnson hit out at Kyle’s “arrogance and equal measure” for comments on the Labour government’s approach to investment. On Friday, Kyle spoke out about the government’s [...]