Keir Starmer rocked by full-blown crisis as PM marks first year in office July 3, 2025 Keir Starmer is facing a full-blown political crisis as he marks his first year in office under pressure from disgruntled MPs, frustrated businesses and jittery financial markets. Speculation grew yesterday that Chancellor Rachel Reeves could be ousted from Number 11 after the PM failed to back her during questions in the House of Commons, with [...]
Labour versus the bond markets, businesses and ballots July 3, 2025 Birthdays aren’t best celebrated on a hangover but Labour’s senior leaders will be waking up with a painful headache this morning after haemorrhaging support from both bond markets and backbenchers. As dozens of Labour MPs discovered the level of influence they held over whips in parliament, unsympathetic bond traders flexed their own powers as medium-term [...]
Mark Kleinman: BP risks being left a Shell without new chair July 3, 2025 BP risks being left a Shell without new chair A not-so-supermajor? Speculation about a Shell tilt at BP to establish a £200bn oil and gas behemoth has been running wild since a Bloomberg News report in May that the Anglo-Dutch group was “studying” such a move. Last week, that speculation lurched into overdrive, when the [...]
Financial and professional services sector ‘bedrock’ to UK economic growth July 3, 2025 The UK-based financial and professional services industry has continued to be "a bedrock of national economic strength", with nearly 2.5m people employed
Uber, AA and Royal Mail urge Khan to scrap EV congestion charge plans July 3, 2025 A host of businesses including Uber, the AA and Royal Mail have urged Sadiq Khan to re-think rolling back the exemption for electric vehicles in London’s congestion charge. Some 28 business and green groups published an open letter to the Mayor arguing that changing the discount would threaten London’s clean air ambitions, while prompting a [...]
Business confidence hit by tax fears as Rachel Reeves’ headroom crumbles July 2, 2025 British business confidence has been hammered by Labour’s tax blows but fears remain heightened the government will return for more. A survey by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) revealed 56 per cent of firms were particularly concerned about their tax burden, which comes as Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer failed to rule out further [...]
Sacking Reeves would make a bad situation even worse July 2, 2025 This government has made plenty of mistakes but ditching Rachel Reeves would be by far the biggest. While my advice to ministers remains “I wouldn’t have started from here” I have to recognise that a misstep now could make a bad situation worse. And the situation is bad. As Labour marks its first full year [...]
M&A volumes jump as US bidders snap up UK tech July 2, 2025 US private equity firms are continuing to swoop for UK tech companies leading to a jump in merger and acquisition (M&A) volumes. Giants from across the Atlantic have taken a heightened interest in UK stock, which analysts pegged to the “cheap and undervalued” nature of equities. UK public M&A activity almost tripled in the first [...]
Formula 1 owners to complete £3.6bn deal for MotoGP July 2, 2025 Formula 1 owners Liberty Media will complete a £3.6bn deal to buy MotoGP by the close of play on Thursday. The agreement will see Liberty Media purchase 84 per cent of MotoGP’s commercial rights holder Dorna – in cash – after it last week got approval from the European Commission. “We believe the sport and [...]
London Museum welcomes return of Smithfield shops and bars parade July 2, 2025 Smithfield’s parade of shops and bars is set to return to the City as part of the Museum of London’s move to Farringdon. The museum, which is moving from 150 London Wall, will redevelop not just the market but the properties surrounding it, hoping to draw in around two million visitors annually. Each property will [...]