Fuel crisis grounds thousands of flights as Iran war sends oil prices soaring March 31, 2026 Thousands of flights have been cancelled, and more are planned, as global airlines struggle with surging fuel costs in the wake of the war in Iran. According to data by aviation analytics company Cirium, more than one in 20 flights scheduled to take off on Monday were cancelled. Jet fuel, which is generally more expensive [...]
FCA slashes banks’ motor finance payouts as compensation scheme finalised March 30, 2026 City banks are set to face a more than £9bn motor finance bill after the UK’s financial watchdog laid out plans for its long-awaited motor finance redress scheme in a major U-turn after months of backlash. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) revealed the details of its industry-wide redress scheme for the car mis-selling saga on [...]
Starmer urges Brits to ‘act as normal’ as fuel shortage fears grow March 30, 2026 Sir Keir Starmer has urged Britons to “act as normal” despite energy chiefs’ warning that there could be fuel shortages within days. The Prime Minister’s spokesman said that the UK had a “resilient and diverse” supply of energy sources as he played down the prospect of a fuel crisis. “We will always plan for all [...]
Reeves and Miliband to call on G7 to follow UK’s energy lead March 29, 2026 Rachel Reeves is set to call on fellow G7 nations to follow the UK’s lead in the transition to renewable and nuclear power as the unfolding energy crisis ripples through global economies. The Chancellor is expected to urge G7 partners to commit to long-term energy security as she meets fellow finance ministers, energy ministers and [...]
Top energy and City bosses called for summit with Starmer as oil surges March 29, 2026 A number of senior leaders from the likes of HSBC, Goldman Sachs and Shell will meet with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer on Monday as the government scrambles to help ease the unfolding energy crisis from the war in Iran. Top officials from the energy, finance and logistics sectors will attend the roundtable on Monday, [...]
‘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 [...]
Kemi Badenoch to call for oil drilling to be maximised March 28, 2026 Kemi Badenoch is to launch a campaign calling for Britain to maximise the use of its oil and gas reserves. The Conservatives will put a “get Britain drilling” campaign at the heart of their proposals for bringing down the spike in energy prices caused by the war in the Middle East. Iran’s blockade of the [...]
Reeves’ energy bill crackdown prompts industry backlash March 28, 2026 Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ push to crack down on “profiteering” among retailers has led to backlash across industry as suppliers are warning of shortages on the horizon. Reeves has been warned by industry bosses that the focus on profiteering lacked justification and was part of a political ploy ahead of crucial elections in May. Asda boss [...]
Nato: Starmer’s defence spending pledge lagging behind March 26, 2026 Sir Keir Starmer’s pledge to upgrade the armed forces is facing renewed scrutiny after official Nato figures suggested that spending in defence was lagging ahead of a crucial expenditure target in 2027. Starmer said last year that the government would increase spending on defence to 2.6 per cent of GDP from 2027. But Nato, the [...]
Is Rachel Reeves actually to blame for the ‘Truss crash’? March 26, 2026 After years of blaming the 'Truss crash' on tax cuts, Rachel Reeves has finally gestured to the real problem – her own instinct to overspend, writes Tom Harwood.