The tax effect: Reeves borrowed less than OBR forecast April 23, 2026 Chancellor Rachel Reeves oversaw lower government borrowing than the Office for Budget Responsibility forecast in the financial year 2024 to 2025, it has been revealed, pointing to the effect sweeping tax hikes have had in narrowing the deficit. The Office for National Statistics has shown that government borrowing over the last financial year was £132bn [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Stocks slump as oil rises; Reeves tax hikes trigger borrowing boost April 23, 2026 Good morning and welcome back to the City AM liveblog. An extended ceasefire may have been announced in the Middle East, but its left markets with major appetite for further peace before investor sentiment recovers. Brent crude – the international benchmark for oil prices – was trading back over the $100 mark on Thursday morning. [...]
Back to the 1970s: Brits know the damage being done to our economy April 23, 2026 By late 1978 Britain was in the grip of what became known as the Winter of Discontent. Waves of strike action caused huge economic and social disruption as rubbish piled up on the streets and bodies went unburied. It was a crisis for the Labour government and a low point in Britain’s recent history. It [...]
London local elections 2026: Who will win in Bromley? April 23, 2026 After years of watching their control fade in Bromley, the Conservatives will be fighting a battle on several fronts with Labour and Reform both chomping at the bit. The Conservatives have been slowly watching their grip on Bromley slip. The Tories have held onto the borough since its creation in 1965 – say for a [...]
London local elections 2026: Who will win in the City of Westminster? April 23, 2026 The home of Oxford Street and several wealthy residents, the Conservatives were proud of holding a council right in the centre of London until losing to Labour in 2022. Will uproar over Sir Sadiq Khan’s mayoralty and concerns about local finances lead to a comeback? Westminster turned red for the first time in its history [...]
London local elections 2026: Who will win in Brent? April 23, 2026 From conflict overseas to transport on the home front, several issues will test Labour’s hold on Brent in the upcoming local elections. Brent will be a place where Labour will be fighting several opponents. The home of Wembley Stadium, Brent is an apt council to showcase whether Labour suffers a heavy defeat or enjoys triumphant [...]
London local elections 2026: Who will win in the borough of Tower Hamlets? April 23, 2026 Tower Hamlets has become something of a controversial area in London with its own council difficulties and division over the proliferation of LTNs. Will Aspire retain the council or could the Greens persuade voters to back its national electoral drive? Tower Hamlets is where fractured politics comes to a head. Neither Labour, the Conservatives, the [...]
London local elections 2026: Who will win in the borough of Wandsworth? April 23, 2026 Wandsworth was a major council loss for the Tories in 2022. After suffering accusations of lying about council tax freezes and recent stories about crime in the area, can Labour maintain support here? Wandsworth was a Tory stronghold in London for decades – until it lost to Labour in 2022. Four years later, the battle [...]
London local elections 2026: Who will win in the borough of Sutton? April 23, 2026 Sutton Council has become a reliable winner for the Liberal Democrats. But with pothole problems, accusations of toxicity and manoeuvres from Reform, could this council bring a surprise result? Sutton has become something of the Liberal Democrats’ stomping ground, winning majorities over several decades. Labour has tailed off in third along with independents while the [...]
London local elections 2026: Who will win in the borough of Camden? April 23, 2026 Sir Keir Starmer will be looking closely at how results pan out in his own backyard given his constituency in Holborn and St Pancras. Could the Greens or Lib Dems put Labour’s control under threat given the prominence of issues such as Gaza, planning and homelessness? Camden Council is Labour through and through – or [...]