FTSE 100 Live: Stocks jittery as Trump eyes Iran ‘grand bargain’; Reeves to meet Bessent April 15, 2026 Good morning and welcome back to the City AM liveblog. Hopes of peace talks in the Middle East were back on the table this morning, though markets weren’t holding there breathe after weeks of bait-and-switches. Donald Trump described the war with Iran as “close to over” during an interview with Fox news. “I think it’s [...]
Historians won’t care about Starmer’s international diplomacy April 15, 2026 When future historians explain why Keir Starmer's premiership fell apart, they'll look at domestic issues, not international diplomacy.
IMF downgrade Reeves is gaslighting voters on energy crisis April 15, 2026 Rachel Reeves is set to urge other countries to “follow her plan” for the energy crisis, but international analysts expect Britain to perform the worst among comparable nations thanks to decisions she has made, says Alys Denby The war in Iran has come at the worst possible time for a government already struggling to command [...]
Reform UK lead slips as Labour jumps after Iran war criticism April 15, 2026 Reform UK’s polling lead slipped in April as Sir Keir Starmer’s criticism of the war in Iran helped mount a slight comeback, fresh data has shown. Reform UK remained top of the party rankings for voter intentions in new research by City AM/Freshwater Strategy. Nigel Farage’s party lost four points in April as around 26 [...]
Tory councillors pledge to ban smartphones in classrooms ahead of local elections April 14, 2026 Conservative council candidates at next month’s local elections have vowed to enforce a ban on students using smartphones in a new policy that could test Labour’s grip over education across the country. The Tories have doubled down on their calls for a national ban on smartphones in classrooms by getting local council candidates on board [...]
New EU entry system hits Brits — But what are your rights? April 14, 2026 Days into the European Union’s new Entry/Exit System (EES), British passengers are facing severe delays, resulting in missed flights, but with the Summer season around the corner, warnings that trying to pass the border may become more costly. The new EES obliges non-European Union nationals, including Britons, who enter the Schengen free travel zone to [...]
IMF slaps UK with biggest growth downgrade of any G7 country April 14, 2026 The UK economy has suffered the biggest growth forecast downgrade of any country in the G7 in the International Monetary Fund’s spring economic outlook report, dealing a blow to Chancellor Rachel Reeves as she struggles to overcome setbacks sparked by the Iran war. Growth this year was revised down by 0.5 percentage points as trade [...]
‘Vandalism’: Reeves and Starmer slammed over defence spending April 14, 2026 Rachel Reeves and Sir Keir Starmer have been slammed for a failure to provide defence with a substantial cash injection as a former Nato secretary general said an “ever-expanding welfare budget” would not keep the UK secure. Downing Street has come under fire for its delay in setting out a clear timeline for an uplift [...]
‘Cure worse than the disease’: Starmer’s mentor lambasts plan to scrap juries April 14, 2026 The proposal to scrap jury trials is “a cure worse than the disease”, according to the founding head of the Chambers where Sir Keir Starmer once practised. David Lammy’s controversial Courts and Tribunals Bill aims to reduce Crown Court backlogs by approximately halving the number of jury trials. The Bill, if passed, will create a [...]
Tax fears mount: Most Brits unhappy with Labour over energy price rise April 14, 2026 The majority of Britons are unhappy with the Labour government’s response to the energy price jump sparked by the Iran war, new polling has found, as voters believe that Chancellor Rachel Reeves will turn to tax rises to keep public finances on a stable footing. Fresh City AM/Freshwater Strategy polling has found that 52 per [...]