Rising hiring costs push British businesses to the brink Business UK businesses are on the brink due to the government’s highly contentious employment rights agenda and cost hikes, following the first provisions of the Employment Rights Act, which came into force in April. According to new research from Employment Hero, an AI-powered employment platform, more than half of UK businesses feel employing staff has “become more [...]
Barclays most ‘hurt’ bank to UK economy downgrades Banking Barclays has been branded the bank most set to be “hurt” by the downgrades slapped on the UK economy following the turmoil caused by the war in the Middle East. The bank’s macroeconomic forecasts hold the most optimistic assumptions when compared to its FTSE 100 peers. This leaves the lender with a less of a [...]
UK growth spurt ‘too good to be true’ Economics The UK economy’s growth spurt is “too good to be true”, analysts have warned, as economists said Rachel Reeves should intervene on the country’s energy policy. ING’s James Smith said the latest data showing a 0.5 per cent jump in growth was consistent with trends seen over recent years where the UK economy has fired [...]
Championing Inclusion in the City: A Conversation with Debbie Crosbie March 23, 2026 Women’s History Month gives us a moment to celebrate the remarkable contributions women make across the City of London and reflect on the ways we are making to ensure the City is an inclusive and welcoming destination for the next generation of talent. The City’s strength has always come from its ability to attract people [...]
‘Taxed to a standstill’ – UK economy grinds to a halt with no growth in January March 13, 2026 The UK economy saw zero growth in the first month of the year – before global markets were rocked by the outbreak of war in the Middle East. Fresh figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) have handed a major blow to Rachel Reeves with the economy flat in January, compared to the 0.2 [...]
The Debate: Should MP salaries be linked to GDP? March 11, 2026 As MPs receive an inflation-busting pay rise, we ask if it's time to better incentivise politicians by linking their salaries to growth.
Meet Reeves’ outsider tasked with steering the City to growth March 3, 2026 The City has rolled out the red carpet for the banking watchdog’s new chief after Katharine Braddick, a seasoned veteran of the financial trenches, was named on Friday as the successor to Sam Woods. For a cool £314,000 a year, she’s set to take on the brief of steering the UK’s banking sector. Chancellor Rachel [...]
Bank of England took ‘eye off ball on inflation’, says Jenrick February 18, 2026 Robert Jenrick is set to make his first major pitch to the City, in his first major outing as Reform’s spokesman on Treasury matters. The Newark MP is expected to commit to the independence of the Bank of England but pledge to “strip the Bank of distractions which have been loaded onto it”. “We will [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Unemployment rises; Debenhams’ £35m raise February 17, 2026 Good morning and welcome back to the City AM liveblog. The UK unemployment rate has risen again this morning, with fresh data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showing the rate had surged to 5.2 per cent in the three months to December 2025. This was up from 5.1 per cent in the latest [...]
Gloomy Brits’ sluggish spending set to drag on economic growth February 16, 2026 Brits continued to tighten their pockets in January as economists warned sluggish spend from consumers could trigger a “sustained drag on economic growth“. S&P Global’s latest Consumer Sentiment Index (CSI) showed a reading of 44.8, indicating further deterioration across household confidence with the figure remaining below the 50.0 mark that indicates neutrality. Whilst it crept [...]