‘No need to take action’ on fuel duty, says Labour minister March 29, 2026 A Labour cabinet minister has pushed back against rallying calls for the government to hand petrol retailers some reprieve, stating there is “no need” to axe the planned hike in fuel duty. Education secretary Bridget Bridget Phillipson said on Sunday the government would “take a view closer to the time” on whether to press ahead [...]
Rolls-Royce: FTSE 100 giant’s shares tumble amid market storm March 27, 2026 Shares in City heavyweight Rolls-Royce sank on Friday morning as the firm got wrapped up in the market storm triggered by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. The FTSE 100 giant’s stock slumped nearly three per cent in mid-morning trading, sending its price crashing to 2026 low of 1,116.77p. Over the last month, the [...]
Kickstart North Sea production to dodge Iran fallout, Serica warns March 26, 2026 Serica Energy has urged the government to prioritise domestic production in the North Sea, as oil and gas supplies continued to be held in the Strait of Hormuz amid the Iran war in its latest annual results. Serica noted that confidence in the UK North Sea sector had been “eroded” and while the government has [...]
FTSE 100 Live: OECD slashes UK growth prospects as inflation set to jump March 26, 2026 Good morning and welcome back to the City AM liveblog. The White House’s Press Secretary has said the US is “very close” to meeting its objectives in the Iran war, though offered no specific timeline on when the conflict could come to a close. But Iran’s foreign minister has said the country has “no intention [...]
When politics Trump prices, markets are no longer free March 26, 2026 In any other context, a system where a single individual can move markets so abruptly would raise serious questions about resilience and fairness. With Donald Trump, it is simply accepted, says Tim Focas The most striking thing about this week’s oil market moves is not that traders placed half a billion dollars of bets ahead [...]
Iran war throws gold’s shine under the spotlight March 25, 2026 The ongoing conflict in the Middle East has thrown gold’s safe haven status into question after the asset suffered a sharp selloff. The price of gold has tumbled by more than 15 per cent since the start of the Iran war, despite holding pre-war levels for the first initial 10 days of the conflict as [...]
Donald Trump is deluded, but so are we March 25, 2026 On the public finances, energy and national security, comforting rhetoric has concealed policy drift that has undermined the status quo it purported to uphold, says Alys Denby Donald Trump’s claims of an imminent end to the war in Iran may bear only a tenuous connection to reality – like his on/off tariff threats – but [...]
‘Mortgage mayhem’: Banks’ rates soar past 5.5 per cent amid Iran war volatility March 25, 2026 The UK mortgage market has been flipped upside down with Brits facing higher prices to borrow in the short-term as the Iran war rattles the economy. The average five-year fixed deal for a homeowner has spiked to 5.54 per cent this morning, up from 4.95 per cent at the start of March, according to financial [...]
Iran mocks Trump’s peace talks as oil price takes sharp drop March 25, 2026 The Iranian regime has mocked claims from Donald Trump that talks to end the war were progressing as markets struggle to digest a mixed bag of messages. Tehran downplayed expectations of any immediate ceasefire, following emerging reports that the US had offered a 15-point ceasefire plan. The President said the US was in “productive” talks [...]
Iran war: Staff at hedge fund Millennium weigh swapping Dubai for Jersey March 24, 2026 Hedge fund Millennium is exploring possible ways to settle staff who do not wish to return to Dubai in Jersey, as firms seek tax-favourable alternatives as the Middle Eastern conflict rages. The multi-manager firm, which had over 100 employees based in Dubai before the war broke out just under a month ago, is prepared to [...]