Reeves’ £1.2bn consultancy savings plan in doubt, watchdog warns March 11, 2026 Despite Rachel Reeves’ focus on cutting government spending on external consultancy services, a damning report stated that the government is unable to set meaningful targets to reduce its reliance on external firms. The UK government has said it wants to put an immediate stop to all non-essential consultancy spending and halve consultancy spending in future [...]
2026 Fifa World Cup: Iran ‘welcome’ despite US military attacks, Trump March 11, 2026 Fifa president Gianni Infantino says he has received assurances from President Trump that Iran are welcome at this summer’s World Cup despite ongoing US strikes on the country. Iran have qualified for this summer’s tournament in the US, Canada and Mexico but their participation has been in doubt since an American-Israeli offensive began last month. [...]
After 250 years Adam Smith’s Wealth of Nations is as relevant as ever March 11, 2026 The fourth of July 2026 will mark 250 years since the Continental Congress issued the Declaration of Independence. It’s a birthday that America will mark with gusto, even if today the world’s focus is on the US for reasons other than its founding fathers’ commitment to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. But this [...]
OBR warns inflation could exceed three per cent if Iran crisis continues March 10, 2026 Inflation is set to jump back up above three per cent if the rise in oil prices is sustained, a government watchdog has warned, amid fears the energy crisis in the Middle East could drag on. The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR)’s David Miles said the current rise in oil and gas prices would add [...]
World’s top oil producer warns ‘catastrophic consequences’ after Iran threats March 10, 2026 The world’s top oil producer has warned of “catastrophic consequences” for the commodity’s global market after Iran threatened to block key shipping routes. Saudi Aramco – the state-owned national oil company of Saudi Arabia which controls over 270 billion barrels of reserves – has sounded the alarm that the Iran’s blocking of the Strait of [...]
Reeves warns oil price shock to fuel higher inflation for Brits March 9, 2026 Chancellor Rachel Reeves has warned that a recent spike in oil prices will translate into higher inflation in the UK, with her economic approach centring on calls for the US, Israel and Iran to de-escalate the conflict in the Middle East. In a statement to MPs, Reeves said she called on G7 finance minister, which [...]
Will the Bank of England raise interest rates amid Iran war energy crisis? March 9, 2026 Traders are betting on interest rate hikes this year as Rachel Reeves and Sir Keir Starmer have consulted analysts at the Bank of England to monitor the impact of spiralling oil prices on the UK economy. Investors believe interest rates are more likely to rise than fall by the end of the year, with a [...]
UK jobs market ‘facing sustained shocks’ March 9, 2026 The Labour government is facing a rallying cry to ease the cost burden on businesses to avoid derailing a recovery in the jobs market. The latest jobs report from KPMG and the REC, the professional body for recruiters, showed hiring for permanent roles reaching a stabilising point in February with the pace of declines the [...]
Sadiq Khan invites Anthropic to move to London March 6, 2026 Sadiq Khan has sent Anthropic’s chief executive Dario Amodei an invitation to move to London after the AI giant’s spat with President Trump. In a letter to the Anthropic boss, the mayor of London praised the company over its “steadfastness” against pressure after it refused to give the US military access to its tools over [...]
Treasury ignored DCMS gambling tax hike concerns before Budget raid March 6, 2026 Whitehall raised questions about the amount of money a gambling levy could raise before Chancellor Rachel Reeves pushed ahead with tax hikes in the Autumn Budget. A Freedom of Information request seen by City AM shows analysis by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport in response to proposals by the Social Market Foundation and [...]