Europe urges fewer flights, remote working as Iran war drains oil supplies April 1, 2026 The spiralling energy crisis is forcing Europe into emergency mode, with politicians urging citizens to work from home, cut back on driving and avoid flying as the conflict in Iran cuts off a critical share of the world’s oil supply. The European Commission’s energy chief, Dan Jørgensen, said Europe is facing a prolonged crisis that [...]
Reeves must listen to supermarkets rather than lecture them April 1, 2026 Supermarkets begin preparing for Christmas at least six months before the anticipated peak of customer demand hits around December 23. Catering for this entirely predictable surge is in itself an astonishing commercial and logistical feat, but a little over six years ago the UK’s supermarkets were in the midst of an unprecedented challenge. As pandemic [...]
UK business confidence plunges to another record low April 1, 2026 Business confidence in the future of the UK economy has plunged to another record low as directors fear the war will damage investment plans and increase costs, a leading survey has found. Research by the Institute of Directors recorded business confidence dropping to a net figure of -76 in March, compared to -63 in February. [...]
Awful April: brace for a wave of stealth tax rises March 31, 2026 April is upon us and the new tax year will usher in a range of tax hikes, despite the absence of any headline rate rises, with frozen thresholds, shrinking allowances and tighter reliefs set to hit families, workers and savers. The harsh impact will also be felt as Brits are hit with a wave of [...]
Trump tells Starmer to ‘go get your own oil’ March 31, 2026 President Donald Trump has told Sir Keir Starmer that the UK will have to “fight for yourself” as the US would not provide any support in fuel supplies. In another threat targeted at Starmer posted on his own social media platform, the US president mocked the UK’s struggles in obtaining jet fuel because of a [...]
Andy Haldane: My mission to ignite Britain’s animal spirits March 31, 2026 As the Bank of England’s chief economist, Andy Haldane had a front row seat to the maladies of UK’s sluggish economy. After a four-year stint running the RSA, he is back as president of the British Chambers of Commerce, and tells Ali Lyon business is still taxed mindlessly, over regulated, and far too risk averse. [...]
Motor finance compensation to ‘to fire starting gun’ on banking M&A March 31, 2026 The financial watchdog’s long-awaited motor finance redress scheme is predicted to “fire the starting gun” on a wave of deals throughout the banking sector. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) launched the final rules for its redress programme on Monday, with the bill for lenders expected to come in at just north of £9bn, down from [...]
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 [...]
More harm than good? Minimum wage hikes kick in from April March 31, 2026 With April approaching plenty of conversations have focused on the end of the tax year, with people scrambling to utilise their ISA allowances, but the month also brings about a pay rise for millions of Brits – and increased costs for employers. The national minimum wage will increase from 1 April, with Chancellor Rachel Reeves [...]
Charging for museums will erode Britain’s soft power March 31, 2026 Ending free museum access would see some of Britain's most coveted institutions fade to irrelevance, writes Benji Wiedemann.