World Cup boost fails to land UK services sector on front foot July 3, 2026 A World Cup boost failed to drag the UK’s services sector to growth last month after it recorded its fastest rate of decline in three-and-a-half years as businesses braced for the Andy Burnham coronation. The latest Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) from S&P Global showed a reading of 48.8 in June, falling from 49.3 in May. [...]
Burnham’s choice of Chancellor will define his premiership June 29, 2026 Economic policy is so fraught that Burnham must choose from various paths. Retaining Reeves means warmed-over Starmerism; Miliband would be a sign that the Labour Party is tacking left; and choosing Streeting would be an advertisement that the Blairites were getting the band back together. What signal will the next Prime Minister seek to send? [...]
UK banks fear a ‘disaster’ with Ed Miliband as Chancellor June 24, 2026 City banks are fretting over the prospect of Ed Miliband as Chancellor as Andy Burnham mulls who he will give the keys to Number 11. The banking industry is bracing for a shake-up at the Treasury and fears it could be hit with a fresh raft of taxes under a new Chancellor while key deregulatory [...]
Burnham to lay out economic plan, but markets fear Miliband as Chancellor June 23, 2026 With more than three weeks to go before he can formally clinch the keys to 10 Downing Street, leadership challenger Andy Burnham is planning to make a major speech on the economy next week. It’s part of an effort to reassure the bond markets – to which he once said we shouldn’t be “in hock” [...]
As it happened: How Starmer resigned and when Streeting backed Burnham June 22, 2026 Sir Keir Starmer resigned as Prime Minister. The Labour leader said on Monday he “had heard the answer of the parliamentary party” that he was not the right person to lead the party into the next election. He said nominations for a new leader will open on July 9, and if a contest goes ahead, [...]
Retailers ramp up pressure on Reeves to scrap tax break for e-commerce rivals May 27, 2026 Retailers have urged Rachel Reeves to “revitalise the high street” by speeding up plans to close a tax break which they say unfairly favours Chinese e-commerce rivals. High street giants like Next, M&S and Primark have urged the Chancellor to impose a £2.60 flat fee on small parcels to rebalance a system which they say [...]
Reeves sends Labour MPs warning over bond market wrath May 14, 2026 Chancellor Rachel Reeves has sent anxious Labour backbenchers a stark warning on the wrath of bond markets in a bold intervention. After walking into Downing Street on Thursday morning, the Chancellor told the BBC that leadership battles risked “plunging the country into chaos”. She demanded that backbenchers maintained support for the Prime Minister as she [...]
It’s not the Bank of England’s job to support the Chancellor May 5, 2026 the Bank of England's MPC is acting as if its role is to support the Chancellor and protect the real economy, rather than control inflation.
A grassroots crypto campaign just forced its way into the House of Lords. Now it wants to reshape British banking March 25, 2026 When Stand With Crypto UK launched a petition calling for a national stablecoin strategy six months ago, few expected it to end up in the corridors of Westminster, but as the petition closed with almost 85,000 signatures it had already more than achieved the petitioners’ aims. Stand With Crypto UK, a grassroots organisation, can now [...]
Ed Miliband rejects ‘totally false’ calls to drill North Sea March 15, 2026 Ed Miliband has dismissed calls for the UK to exploit the North Sea’s oil supply, despite widespread calls to drill the area as fears of an energy shock rise amidst the war in the Middle East. The energy secretary said: “Some people want to go around and pretend that if we only we draw more [...]