City leaders weigh employment policy alternatives to non-competes August 25, 2026 City businesses are expecting non-compete agreements to become less effective, looking instead to alternatives such as deferred bonus payments or share incentive plans to keep employees on board. In 2025, the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) launched a consultation to consider restrictions on non-compete clauses in employment contracts. The consultation closed for feedback in [...]
As it happened: FTSE 100 jumps in best streak since May; Vistry, Melrose lead risers August 25, 2026 Welcome back to the City AM FTSE 100 liveblog. The blue-chip index jumped on Tuesday to extend its best winning streak since May. Melrose Industries led the FTSE 100 after the completion of a probe into a chemical incident in California, while Vistry gained 18 per cent on the FTSE 250 after winning cash in [...]
Top business group urges Healey to cut NICs to ‘solve Neets crisis’ August 25, 2026 One of Britain’s most influential business bodies has urged Chancellor John Healey to cut taxes for employers at the Budget in order to “solve” the crisis facing Neets, who are young people not in employment, education or training. In a report published on Tuesday, the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) said Britain’s youth unemployment crisis [...]
The UN treaty that’s been incentivising Britain’s blockers since 1998 August 24, 2026 Leaving the Aarhus Convention would make it easier to build homes, roads, reservoirs, railways and companies, writes Tom Willerton-Gartside.
As it happened: Stocks rally; US to unveil ‘economic D-Day’ Iran sanctions August 24, 2026 Welcome back to the City AM liveblog. The FTSE 100 rallied on Monday afternoon following a brief slump in the early afternoon. Wier, Airtel Africa and Intercontinental Hotels Group led the index’s risers while Autotrader and Melrose Industries dragged on the index. The attention of investors is trained on the other side of the Atlantic, [...]
Burnham forgets, the Labour Party is a moral crusade or it is nothing August 24, 2026 Voters yearn for loftier ambitions. Burnham must think bigger, yes even than devolution, if he is to meaningfully win back the electorate.
Lord O’Neill declines job in Burnham government August 21, 2026 Former Goldman Sachs executive and Tory Treasury minister Lord Jim O’Neill has declined a job in Andy Burnham’s government, in a blow to the Prime Minister as he looks to woo business ahead of the Budget. O’Neill served as an informal economic adviser to Burnham before his election as Labour leader and had been in [...]
Burnham predicted to raise taxes for ‘fundamental’ cost of living support August 21, 2026 Andy Burnham will struggle to deliver “fundamental” cost of living support without raising taxes, economists have warned, after a spike in government bond yields in recent weeks. Higher than expected government borrowing in July has deepened problems for the UK’s public finances, narrowing the range of extra cost of living measures that could be adopted [...]
Healey oversees unexpected rise in borrowing in first month as Chancellor August 21, 2026 John Healey oversaw an unexpected deficit in the public finances in his first month as Chancellor, according to new data, in a sign the government may be more restricted than first thought ahead of its first budget. New figures released on Friday showed that government borrowing hit £1.8bn in July. Markets had expected the Office for [...]
As it happened: FTSE 100 climbs as markets digest Bessent buyback August 21, 2026 Welcome back to the City AM liveblog. The FTSE 100 has closed 0.6 per cent higher after fresh research showed consumer confidence has risen to its highest level in nearly two years. The GfK consumer confidence index – which polls households on the way they view their finances and economic outlook – jumped three points [...]