Haigh and Healey to host business chiefs in Downing Street September 14, 2026 Louise Haigh and John Healey will lead meetings with top business chiefs in Downing Street this evening after Andy Burnham cancelled his official engagements following the death of his father. The First Secretary of State will host a roundtable with entrepreneurs, which is set to be followed by an evening drinks reception. The Chancellor and [...]
Burnham told to deliver 10 per cent hospitality VAT after backing tax cut September 14, 2026 More than 800 hospitality businesses have called on Andy Burnham to make good on his support for lower VAT, piling pressure on the prime minister ahead of next month’s Budget. Pub giants, restaurant chains, hotels and some of Britain’s best-known chefs have signed an open letter demanding the government cut hospitality VAT from 20 per [...]
Burnham eyes youth minimum wage rethink as jobs crisis bites September 13, 2026 Andy Burnham’s government is considering slowing planned minimum wage rises for young workers amid concerns that higher employment costs are making businesses more reluctant to hire them. Downing Street and the Treasury are examining whether the rapid increase in wages for under-21s has contributed to Britain’s youth jobs crisis, Bloomberg first reported, as ministers prepare [...]
Wetherspoon boss: ‘Not up to Burnham’ to choose who is on the high street September 11, 2026 Britain’s pubs have few more committed defenders than Sir Tim Martin. The Norwich-born businessman founded JD Wetherspoon in 1979 when he bought his first pub in Muswell Hill, initially named Martin’s Free House. Since rebranding the pub to Wetherspoon – named after a former teacher of Martin’s who could not control his class – it [...]
Government admits Burnham’s Whitehall shake-up leaves tech policy in limbo September 11, 2026 Nearly two months after Andy Burnham abolished Britain’s technology department, ministers have admitted parts of the former department still have nowhere to go. A long-awaited breakdown of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) carve-up revealed a “small number of policy areas” are yet to be allocated, while some staff are still waiting to [...]
As it happened: FTSE 100 rallies as economy beats forecasts; oil falls back September 11, 2026 Welcome back to City AM’s FTSE 100 liveblog. The UK’s blue-chip index rallied on Friday after the economy beat forecasts in July, surprising those in the City who had expected to see growth peter out. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has revealed that the UK economy’s (GDP) grew by 0.4 per cent in July, [...]
Hospitality sector blasts Burnham’s uncapped tourist tax September 10, 2026 The hospitality sector has blasted proposals from Andy Burnham’s government to introduce a fresh tax on tourists. The industry has been left reeling after the government confirmed a new overnight levy on tourists that will have no upper cap. Regional authorities are set to be handed the power to introduce a levy to support regional [...]
As it happened: FTSE 100 dives as oil marches to $106; Trump threatens long war September 10, 2026 Welcome back to City AM’s FTSE 100 liveblog. The UK’s blue-chip index shed as much as 0.4 per cent on Thursday morning, as Associated British Foods’ 11 per cent dip cancelled out modest gains from London’s oil majors and consumer giants like JD Sports and Whitbread. Despite recent expectations that the Iran war is far [...]
Burnham insists defence uplift ‘can’t come at expense’ of welfare September 9, 2026 Andy Burnham has said an uplift in defence spending will not come “at the expense” of benefits. During Prime Minister’s Questions, Burnham said “national security can’t come at the expense of social security” in response to attacks from Tory leader Kemi Badenoch over the absence of plans to get defence spending up to three per [...]
JP Morgan boss Jamie Dimon to meet Chancellor John Healey ahead of Budget September 9, 2026 JP Morgan boss Jamie Dimon is set to meet John Healey today ahead of the new Chancellor’s first Budget, City AM understands. The American banker – regarded as one of the most influential figures in global finance – is due to meet Healey in London for the first time following a phone call exchange last [...]