Four out of five top firms have never had a female chief executive, report finds September 23, 2026 Four out of five companies across the FTSE 100 and S&P 100 have never had a female chief executive, as boards fail to promote them into positions of power earlier in their career, a new report has found. Across the two nations, 80 per cent of firms have never had a women lead the company, [...]
Burnham urged to launch £26bn tax raid on high earners September 23, 2026 Chancellor John Healey and Prime Minister Andy Burnham could raise £26bn by hiking capital gains taxes and applying national insurance to other areas of income, according to plan put forward by academics that will rattle the City and Westminster ahead of this year’s Budget. Researchers at the Centre for Analysis of Taxation (Centax), consisting of [...]
Burnham adviser slams ‘growth in every postcode’ pledge September 22, 2026 Andy Burnham’s pledge to deliver “growth in every postcode” will result in “wasted taxpayer money and create political problems”, according to one the PM’s most valued economic advisers. Jim O’Neill, who was tipped to take an official role in Burnham’s government, said the Prime Minister should focus on getting gilt yields to fall by 150 [...]
Burnham: Rejoining the EU is a debate ‘for another day’ September 22, 2026 Andy Burnham has refused to rule out launching a bid for the UK to rejoin the EU, saying the debate is “for another day.” Speaking to reporters in New York at the United Nations summit on Tuesday, the Prime Minister said his priority was to “build on the good work that Keir [Starmer] did in [...]
How inheritance tax is becoming a ‘bill for ordinary households’ September 22, 2026 Inheritance tax receipts have hit a new high as frozen thresholds and rising property values drag more households into the tax net. Inheritance tax (IHT) receipts have hit £3.8bn so far this financial year, surpassing the £3.7bn recorded at the same point last year, according to the latest data from HMRC. Total receipts reached £8.5bn [...]
Thousands of jobs at risk as Ineos suspends operations at huge UK chemicals plants September 22, 2026 Thousands of jobs have been put at risk after Ineos suspended operations at three of the UK’s biggest chemicals plants, as owner Jim Ratcliffe took aim at “ridiculously high” energy prices in the UK. The three plants which are being idled produce the raw materials for pharmaceuticals, clothing, cosmetics, detergents, construction materials and military explosives [...]
‘Worryingly large’: Labour’s debt cost racks up to £200bn September 22, 2026 More than £200bn has now been spent on covering government debt since Labour came into power, official figures show, reflecting the pressure bond traders have put on public finances in the last two years. Analysis of public finances data by City AM shows that debt interest payable to the government’s lenders in bond markets since [...]
‘Dismal’: Blow to Healey as government borrowing overshoots by billions September 22, 2026 Chancellor John Healey has missed key targets on government borrowing ahead of his inaugural Budget after the UK borrowed more than economists forecast in August. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said borrowing in August was £18.3bn, which was about £3.5bn above a prediction by the Office for Budget Responsibility and overshot market predictions. The [...]
As it happened: Ineos suspends huge chemicals plants in Hull, RAC IPO breakdown September 22, 2026 Good morning from the City desk at City AM. Follow along here for all our coverage of the latest London Stock Exchange updates along with UK business news and analysis of the key trends shaping investor sentiment. Here’s a summary of some of our top headlines today: The liveblog has ended.No liveblog updates yet. Load [...]
Will our fiscal psychodrama never end? September 22, 2026 I’m sure it wasn’t always like this. There was a time, really not that long ago in the grand scheme of things, when trying to predict the contents of an upcoming Budget was limited to dedicated policy wonks and Westminster’s most dogged journalists. These days, fiscal speculation is a major occupation for several months of [...]