Rachel Reeves to scrap fuel duty hike May 18, 2026 Rachel Reeves is set to scrap plans to hike fuel duty, following pressure over the impact of the Iran war on fuel prices and the cost of living. Fuel duty was first frozen by the Tories in March 2022 and the Chancellor had extended this hold on the rate until the end of August this [...]
Oil shock will be felt well beyond energy markets March 10, 2026 Energy shocks rarely remain confined to energy markets. They propagate through bond markets, fiscal balances and inflation expectations, says Helen Thomas As Winston Churchill once warned: “The statesman who yields to war fever must realise that once the signal is given he is no longer the master of policy, but the slave of unforeseeable and [...]
Ministers should ‘stop managing scarcity’ in living standards push March 5, 2026 Government policy should concentrate on reducing the cost of essentials to help improve living standards for lower-to-middle income households, according to a new report from Bright Blue. The centre-right think tank argued that policy should focus on lowering energy costs and improving housing affordability, two areas where the UK performs particularly poorly compared to international [...]
UK gas prices spike over 90 per cent amid US-Iran war March 3, 2026 Gas prices in the UK have nearly doubled as the war between US and Iran ramped up since the weekend. The price of UK wholesale gas prices – which reflect the costs energy suppliers pay to producers for natural gas before selling to household and businesses – has rocketed by 93 per cent in just [...]
Consumer confidence slips in latest setback for Labour February 27, 2026 Consumer confidence slipped slightly in February despite hopes of a turnaround, adding to fears the UK economy could slump this year. A closely-monitored survey conducted by the research firm GfK said consumer confidence dropped by three points to -19. The reading reflects dampened spirits among British consumers in what will likely worry Labour strategists keen [...]
Uber prices set to soar as ministers introduce VAT crackdown January 2, 2026 Prices on ride hailing apps like Uber are set to soar, after the government ploughed ahead with a promise to apply VAT to online mini cab companies despite warnings from the industry that the move would worsen the cost of living. From Friday, private hire vehicle operators in London will no longer be able to [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Budget to send borrowing costs soaring; New AIM IPO December 4, 2025 Good morning and welcome back to the City AM liveblog. Sir Keir Starmer has asked the British public to judge his premiership on the government’s ability to “make people feel better off”. Well, in the capital the Prime Minister shouldn’t be expecting a warm reception from young Brits, who are feeling the pinch of the [...]
Majority of young voters consider leaving London due to cost of living December 3, 2025 A majority of young Londoners have considered leaving the capital due to the high cost of living, with one in four actively looking into moving, according to a new survey. Just under half – 47 per cent – of all Londoners have thought about moving out of the capital, with that figure rising to 54 [...]
Three quarters of Brits think UK ‘heading in wrong direction’ as Budget looms November 12, 2025 The UK is heading in the wrong direction, most Brits believe, in the latest sign of rising gloom about the state of the country’s economy. A City AM/Freshwater Strategy poll has shown that 76 per cent of voters are pessimistic about the future of the country, the highest level of pessimism recorded since our polling [...]
ABF: Primark owner’s shares sink as sales slow at FTSE 100 giant September 10, 2025 Shares in Primark owner Associated British Foods (ABF) have plunged after posting what analysts branded a “mixed bag” of results. The FTSE 100 warned that challenging conditions were weighing on the company’s trading, listing consumer caution, geopolitical uncertainty and inflation as top factors. Shares plunged 13 per cent on the news to their lowest value [...]