Tories brace for heavy losses as Badenoch outpolls rivals April 4, 2026 Five years ago, the Conservatives were polling at around 40 per cent, buoyed by the vaccine rollout and post-Brexit momentum, and went on to gain 235 seats in the 2021 local elections. But ahead of May’s vote, that position seems to have shifted. Political scientist Stephen Fisher has suggested the party could lose as many [...]
Labour to curb jail terms for shoplifters as retail crime fears grow April 4, 2026 Labour’s plans to scrap most prison sentences of under a year will see thousands of prolific shoplifters avoid jail, in a move that risks intensifying pressure on retailers already warning of rising violence and disorder. The changes, introduced under the Sentencing Act, mean around 98 per cent of shoplifters currently in custody would instead qualify [...]
Farage slammed over pledge to keep ‘unsustainable’ triple lock pension April 2, 2026 Nigel Farage’s Reform UK has come under fire after committing to maintaining the triple lock pension, the financial mechanism that ensures pensioners’ earnings are increased by whatever is higher out of inflation or wage growth even in times of economic crisis. In a press conference on Thursday, Treasury spokesman Robert Jenrick said pensioners were worried about [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Dow Jones joins City in red; Oil soars on Iran war fears April 2, 2026 Good morning and welcome back to the City AM liveblog. After a dose of optimism hit markets on Wednesday, that looks to all be eradicated come this morning. In a 19-minute long address to the nation, Donald Trump vowed to “finish the job” in Iran and warned the country would be hit “extremely hard” in [...]
Bank of England: UK economy risks ‘large and overlapping’ shocks April 1, 2026 The Bank of England has issued a major warning that the financial system is facing increasing risks of “large, frequent and potentially overlapping shocks” amid the volatility from the Middle East war‘ and ongoing market risks’s impact on energy and global markets. In the latest meeting of the central bank’s Financial Policy Committee top officials [...]
Britain’s most AI-exposed sectors foot biggest tax bill March 31, 2026 The UK sectors most exposed to artificial AI are concentrated in the same parts of the economy that generate the bulk of tax revenues, according to government and industry data. A 2026 assessment from the UK government shows AI is most applicable to tasks involving data processing, analysis and routine cognitive work, activities concentrated in [...]
How high will Starmer let fuel prices climb? March 31, 2026 Petrol station forecourts were gripped by panic buying, industry groups warned of the crippling economic impact, supermarkets began rationing bread and milk, hospitals were cancelling appointments, schools closed, the army was on standby and Labour ministers appeared on the brink of losing control of the country. That was just over 25 years ago, when truckers [...]
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 [...]
Why high oil prices could plunge world into recession by the summer March 30, 2026 The world economy is heading for a “rare” recession in the middle of this year as a prolonged war seems likely amid the prospect of US troops heading to the Middle East. Economists have warned that activity will fall in the middle of the year if oil prices surge to $150 per barrel and remain [...]
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 [...]