Conservatives have the right diagnosis, but can they cure Britain’s ailments? May 20, 2026 Mel Stride has set out his vision for the economic future of the UK, Matthew Bowles gives his analysis Westminster has spent much of the past week discussing the emergence of a supposed “Burnham premium” on British borrowing costs – the suggestion being that the mere prospect of Andy Burnham returning to national politics could [...]
Are we in the calm before the economic storm? May 20, 2026 There is a palpable sense of being in the calm before the storm. Thanks to the backward-looking nature of most economic data releases, we’re being fed glimpses of the gathering gloom. The latest GDP growth data from the ONS covered Q1 and came in at a respectable 0.6 per cent. However, it has been widely [...]
Billionaire exodus should not be UK’s headline concern May 20, 2026 Billionaires are good for headlines, but it's what's happening lower down the corporate food chain that interests Susannah Streeter.
The Square Mile gets its fourth City Minister – could it soon get its fifth? May 20, 2026 Four City minsters later, in this week’s column Samuel Norman takes a look at the blow to the Square Mile from the latest reshuffle. Also on the agenda: Revolut’s plans for the high net worth faces off with ambitions of incumbents. “Look for the girl with the sun in her eyes…” So goes the lyrics [...]
Rejecting affordable homes means Peckham will get no homes May 19, 2026 Southwark council has rejected the redevelopment of the low-rise Aylesham shopping centre on the basis that it did not include enough affordable homes. This completely misses the point, says Jeremy Driver London has England’s most acute housing shortage: the average rent for a one-bedroom flat is now around £1,500 a month, and the average home [...]
Inflation, not Andy Burnham, is the culprit behind high Gilt yields May 19, 2026 Gilt Yields have more to do with inflation than the future of the Labour Party, says Tomasz Wieladek The debate about the future of the Labour Party’s leadership has revived a familiar narrative: that high Gilt yields are the verdict of financial markets on prospective changes to the government’s fiscal plans. The implication is that [...]
Markets have entered negative gamma – buckle up May 19, 2026 Dealers are forced being to buy rallies and sell dips, increasing volatility. That should serve as a warning. Although markets currently appear calm and resilient, beneath the surface they are becoming more fragile, says Helen Thomas Markets are entering a profoundly unstable moment for the global price of risk. The supply shock emanating from the [...]
Capital won’t wait for Westminster to sort itself out May 19, 2026 Britain can’t afford to spend the next six months navel gazing. We need to get serious about investing, says Katie Perrior Last month I woke up in Austin, Texas, pulled back the curtains in my hotel room and looked out across a skyline punctuated by cranes. Not just a handful of projects but dozens. Much [...]
The absolute insanity of the SNP’s plan to cap the price of food May 19, 2026 The political drama (or farce) of Westminster politics will dominate the news agenda for the rest of the summer. The high-stakes Makerfield by-election next month will be followed by a Labour leadership election – or, possibly, a coronation – leading to a change of Prime Minister and an entirely new policy agenda. The consequences of [...]
Streeting’s EU Plan would cost our hard-won relationship with Trump May 19, 2026 West Streeting's pitch to rejoin the EU may play well with Labour Party members, but it will prove a liability for whoever has to govern.