Exclusive: Mordaunt suggests only death of Brits would get UK to ‘wake up’ on defence March 30, 2026 Former defence secretary Penny Mordaunt has suggested that only the death of serving British soldiers would get the Prime Minister to “wake up” and fund extra defence spending. In an interview with City AM, the senior Tory figure said the current government’s spending plans for defence were “out of kilter” with reality given immediate threats [...]
White van men ‘bleeding cash’ in Iran war diesel chaos March 30, 2026 The country’s fleet of tradesmen are “bleeding cash,” with the Iran war’s fuel chaos pushing the price difference between petrol and diesel to its widest level in decades. A litre of diesel cost 179.9p on Sunday on average – up more than 35p since the Iran war started and 25p higher than petrol, according to [...]
For FSCS sake: Meet the body that protects Britain’s savers in a financial crisis March 30, 2026 As echoes of 2008 percolate through the banking system, the body that serves to protect Britain in a financial crisis says it’s ready to weather any storm. A combination of fears around private credit, the “stretched” value of artificial intelligence firms and more recently, concerns around a global energy shock, have made top bankers sound [...]
Arbuthnot chief: High street banks’ push into wealth is no threat March 30, 2026 One of London’s oldest private banking institutions has sounded off on the influx of the British banking giants looking to grab a slice of the wealth management pie. Andrew Salmon, the boss of Arbuthnot Latham, told City AM that when big bank rivals attempt to go “stratospheric” with their thresholds, it would benefit from its [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
UK ministers to push ahead with ‘capped’ mandation powers after peers backlash March 27, 2026 Ministers are set to go toe-to-toe with the House of Lords over a plan to grant them powers to force pension funds into private assets and UK companies. Government officials said ministers would make concessions to try and get the measure through the upper house, which voted last week to remove a “reserve power” allowing [...]
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 [...]