Gordon Brown returns to government as Starmer shrugs off resignation calls May 9, 2026 Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown has returned to government in a new role as Sir Keir Starmer has scrambled to save his premiership amid discontent among Labour MPs. Brown will serve as the government’s special envoy for global finance. He will likely be tasked with sorting finance for defence ahead of the publication of the [...]
London local election results LIVE: Brown returns as Labour bruised in five-party split May 9, 2026 Good morning and welcome back to the City AM liveblog. Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown has returned to support Sir Keir Starmer’s premiership as a special envoy for global finance. The appointment was made after bruising election results across the country, particularly in Wales and Scotland where Labour lost control. Starmer resisted calls for his [...]
UK borrowing costs waver as Starmer insists he will not ‘walk away’ May 8, 2026 Government borrowing costs – which are reflected in changes in gilt yields – have edged lower as City traders were calmed by Sir Keir Starmer’s insistence that he would not “walk away”. Gilts were the best performing government bonds out of any G7 nation on Friday morning as 10-year yields dropped by around eight basis [...]
Tony Travers: London local election result could trigger housebuilding slump May 7, 2026 The result of the forthcoming local elections could trigger a further slump in housebuilding in the capital as a shake-up in council composition obstructs development plans. Voters head to the polls in every London borough today, with polling suggesting Labour is on course to shed dozens of seats and lose its grip on the capital, [...]
Local elections 2026: City awaits ‘significant’ event for Labour leadership May 7, 2026 City giants have warned today’s local elections will be “significant” for market pricing, with traders keeping a close eye on possible leadership moves made by the likes of Angela Rayner and Andy Burnham. Several financial behemoths have lined up to warn investors that results across the country over the coming days could be unusually important [...]
London local elections 2026: Who will win in Kingston upon Thames? May 6, 2026 In the Lib Dems’ leafy heartlands, campaigns have included demands for an M&S. But a third runner has entered the traditional two-horse race with the Tories in Ed Davey’s own backyard – the Kingston Independent Residents Group. Kingston upon Thames is both the geographic and the spiritual home of the Liberal Democrats. The leafy south [...]
London local elections 2026: Who will win in the borough of Islington? May 6, 2026 Labour’s dominance makes it almost a one-party authority here. But the Greens are on the march backing rent control after big-name infighting between the likes of Jeremy Corbyn and Keir Starmer means no shortage of political drama. At first glance, Islington Council’s composition is like North Korea’s. It is all-but a one-party authority. At the [...]
‘Clear risk signal’: Gilt yields hit 28-year high as investors weigh Starmer’s future after local elections May 5, 2026 Gilt yields have risen to their highest rate since 1998 as investors weigh the odds of Keir Starmer being ousted following what is widely expected to be a major defeat for Labour at the local elections. The yield on 30-year government bonds rose 11 basis points on Tuesday to hit 5.76 per cent, topping the [...]
Rachel Reeves battled Scott Bessent over Iran war May 5, 2026 Chancellor Rachel Reeves sparred with Donald Trump’s Treasury secretary Scott Bessent over the US’s attacks on Iran, it has been reported. During her stay in Washington DC for meetings at the International Monetary Fund last month, Reeves hit out at the Trump official for “how he had spoken to her.” The two sparred over the [...]
‘Critically low levels’: UK braces for jet fuel shortage as rationing looms May 5, 2026 The UK is particularly vulnerable to the jet fuel shortages caused by the Iran war, as the risk of rationing looms as supplies fall to “critically low levels” while the summer holidays creep closer. The ongoing closure of the Strait of Hormuz has led to an “extreme tightness” in the supply of jet fuel in [...]