Accounting watchdog launches enquiries into Man City auditor BDO October 21, 2026 The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) is considering launching a formal probe into Manchester City’s accounts and its external auditor BDO, after the club was found to have breached the Premier League’s financial rules. In a letter to the government’s business committee, penned by the newly appointed chair, Dame Jayne-Anne Gadhia, the FRC said it is [...]
UK debt pile exceeds £3 trillion one week before Healey’s Budget October 21, 2026 The size of the UK public debt topped £3 trillion in September for the first time in official data released one week before John Healey’s Budget. The major milestone reflects the difficulties facing the Chancellor ahead of his maiden fiscal statement. As a share of GDP, public sector debt stood at 94 per cent, about [...]
Inflation leaps above expectations to 3.5 per cent October 21, 2026 Inflation jumped to 3.5 per cent in the 12 months to September as the UK economy looks set to suffer the damaging effects of energy price increases caused by the Iran war over the coming months. The consumer price index (CPI) reading rose above market expectations. This was also above last month’s figure of 3.1 [...]
As it happened: FTSE 100 claws back losses; oil hovers as Iran-US talks stall October 21, 2026 Welcome back to the City AM FTSE 100 liveblog. London’s blue-chip index is looking to claw back losses made this week as investors weigh up the rising price of oil. Brent crude – the international benchmark for oil prices – surged above $110 per barrel on Wednesday, resuming its advance following mixed reports on diplomatic [...]
Companies to shoulder responsibility for harassment outside the office October 21, 2026 Businesses will face harassment risks beyond their own workplaces, including at client meetings, events, and in interactions with suppliers and service providers, as new employment laws take effect at the end of this month. Currently, employers face direct liability only for harassment committed by their own staff. But on 30 October the UK government will [...]
How Hill Dickinson’s Everton stadium gamble redefined law’s marketing playbook October 21, 2026 Hill Dickinson is a rare law firm to gain cut through on the terraces, but its unusual approach to marketing is paying off, writes Maria Ward-Brennan It’s rare to hear a law firm’s name come up in chat among football fans, but Hill Dickinson’s was dropped while I was standing in the home end at [...]
Why a ‘do no harm’ Budget isn’t good enough October 21, 2026 Labour market statistics can be pretty dry. Inactivity rates, nominal regular earnings growth, payroll numbers and claimant counts tend not, at first glance, to fire up the imagination. The data dumps are hoovered up by economists and analysts, not least as a guide to future Bank of England interest rate decisions or as a barometer [...]
OBR expected to sound alarm on Healey’s spending pressures October 21, 2026 Britain’s fiscal watchdog is likely to sound the alarm on the spending pressures facing the government when it lays out its analysis of the Budget next week, economists have predicted, in what would be a significant move signalling the scale of the challenges facing the Chancellor. Analysts have said the Office for Budget Responsibility could [...]
OBR expected to flag warning over Healey’s spending pressures October 21, 2026 Britain’s fiscal watchdog is likely to sound the alarm on the spending pressures facing the government when it lays out its analysis of the Budget next week, economists have predicted, in what would be a significant move signalling the scale of the challenges facing the Chancellor. John Healey is facing a crunch Spending Review next [...]
‘Own goal’ – City chiefs warn Healey higher bank taxes hurt jobs outside London October 21, 2026 Top City chiefs are launching last-ditch attempts to stop a punishing tax raid on banks at the Budget, warning the move will hurt jobs and growth outside of London. Rain Newton-Smith, the chief executive of the CBI, is set to warn Chancellor John Healey that increasing taxes on banks would be an “own goal for [...]