Labour backbencher adds to criticism of stamp duty on shares August 17, 2026 A Labour backbencher with experience in the financial services sector has urged Healey to reconsider stamp duty on shares in UK trading. Callum Anderson, the Labour MP for Buckingham and Bletchley, set out a list of growth policies for Healey to prioritise at the Budget. The proposals break from some of the party’s current economic [...]
Nigel Farage wins in Clacton – and triggers investigation August 14, 2026 Nigel Farage’s re-election has triggered a parliamentary investigation into his financial affairs after he swept to victory in the Clacton by-election. The Reform UK leader won with over 11,000 more votes than the novelty candidate Count Binface, who was the main opposition after every other major party refused to take part in the poll. The [...]
Tory and Labour councillors spar over £300m Hammersmith Bridge plans August 14, 2026 Tensions are mounting between Labour and Tory councillors in nearby authorities over restoration plans for Hammersmith Bridge, which has been closed to motorists for seven years. Arch rivals in Hammersmith & Fulham and Wandsworth councils have sparred over an application to a £1bn government fund for infrastructure. The lack of progress over the bridge’s repair [...]
UK economy weathers Iran war shocks but slowdown incoming August 13, 2026 The UK economy grew 0.4 per cent between April and June, official data has revealed, in a sign that businesses and consumers have so far weathered the worst shocks of the war in Iran. The growth figure from the Office for National Statistics was in line with analysts’ expectations but came alongside a surprise boost [...]
Government debt repayment ‘could rise to half’ of total taxes August 13, 2026 Children and young people today could see nearly half of their taxes spent on servicing government debt, new modelling by a favoured Labour think tank has suggested. Research by the Institute for Public Policy Research, a left-leaning think tank that was formerly the workplace of several Labour ministers and advisers, has shown that debt interest [...]
Labour’s ‘chaotic’ zero-hour crackdown could cost firms £3bn per year August 12, 2026 Labour’s ‘chaotic’ crackdown on zero-hour contracts could cost businesses nearly £3bn every year, though firms have warned the real cost could spiral even higher. The cost of the new rules, which include offering guaranteed-hour contracts to flexible employees and paying workers for cancelled shifts, has been revealed in a government impact assessment. The reforms could [...]
Andy Burnham to ‘go further’ in business rates reform August 12, 2026 Andy Burnham said he would “go further” in introducing business rates reform after already announcing that property taxes would be cut for pubs in return for higher levies on vape shops. The Prime Minister said he will look to bring in more radical changes to the business rates system as part of efforts to ease [...]
As it happened: FTSE 100 falls as Iran and US clash over Strait of Hormuz; Oil stockpiles ‘rapidly depleting’ August 12, 2026 Welcome back to City AM liveblog. Oil prices broke above $89 per barrel on Wednesday morning, notching the sixth consecutive sessions amid mixed signals around a potential deal between the US and Iran. The regime in Iran has said that the United States must end the war before they loosen their grip on the Strait of [...]
The Burnham bounce won’t last unless Brits get better off August 12, 2026 Andy Burnham’s approval ratings are soaring but Labour’s overall vote has only moved moderately. The real test will be the Budget, says Matthew Lesh Andy Burnham has undoubtedly had a significantly stronger start to his premiership than Keir Starmer. Just two years ago, the government got off to a rotten beginning by signalling tax rises [...]
The City is awash with talk of an early general election August 12, 2026 Every month since January 2025 we’ve run a nationwide survey of UK voters, with our polling partners Freshwater Strategy. The latest set of results, our 20th survey of voters’ attitudes, landed on Monday and I’ve been going through the data. Here’s an interesting development: For 19 consecutive months we’ve asked voters whether they felt the [...]