Tradesmen hand condoms to politicians in paternity campaign March 8, 2026 Construction workers will descend on Westminster to hand out condoms to MPs as part of a campaign for paternity leave for the self-employed. Tradesmen from across the UK will be dishing out the condoms branded with “this lasts longer than our paternity leave” to draw attention to their cause. Self-employed fathers do not get any [...]
Israel expands strikes on Iranian oil as Trump hits out at Starmer March 8, 2026 Israel expanded its attacks on Iranian oil facilities as President Trump hit out at the Prime Minister, telling Keir Starmer he doesn’t need the UK’s military support. The boss of Iran’s oil distribution company told state TV five sites were “damaged” but that the fires have been brought under control. The chief executive of the [...]
Blackrock fund limits withdrawals amid private credit fears March 7, 2026 The world’s largest asset manager BlackRock has limited withdrawals from a flagship debt fund after a surge in redemption requests, as investors worries on the private credit industry grow. Blackrock’s shares tumbled 7.1 per cent on Friday following the announcement, closing at $955.45 (£713.37), amid a broader market sell off after worse than anticipated US [...]
Four men arrested on suspicion of spying for Iran March 6, 2026 Four men have been arrested on the suspicion of spying for Iran on the Jewish community, the Metropolitan Police has said. The men were suspected of conducting surveillance of Jewish people in London. One Iranian national and three British-Iranian nationals were arrested in the early hours of Friday morning in Barnet and Watford. They were [...]
Royal London reports assets under management hitting record high March 6, 2026 Asset management giant Royal London reported assets under management reaching record highs in its latest annual results, boosted by buoyant equities market movements and a key acquisition. Assets under management (AUM) jumped to a record £199bn, up from £173bn the prior year, thanks chiefly to its recent acquisition Dalmore Capital, which brought in £6bn, and [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Stocks jittery amid oil tensions; Khan woos Anthropic AI March 6, 2026 Good morning and welcome back to the City AM liveblog. Inflation fears have dominated the week and as for the time being, they don’t look to be heading anywhere. The FTSE 100 ended Thursday’s session slipping 1.5 per cent to 10,413.94p as markets battled renewed fears of an energy crisis. Brent crude futures – the international [...]
Rain drives shoppers off high streets in blow to retailers March 6, 2026 This year’s record wet weather has kept Brits indoors and away from the high street, in a blow to retailers as they face growing costs. Retail footfall fell by 4.5 per cent in February year on year, down from January’s 0.6 per cent decrease, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC). UK retailers are sounding [...]
Inflation expectations eased before Middle East energy crisis March 5, 2026 Inflation expectations among UK firms eased before President Trump launched a war against Iran, which has sent oil and gas prices spiralling and spooked financial markets. The Bank of England revealed in its latest decision makers’ panel survey that company directors expected price growth to be 3.3 per cent in the next year when asked [...]
Starmer vows to ‘resist pressure’ over Iran policy amid criticism of UK response March 5, 2026 Sir Keir Starmer has vowed to “resist” pressure on the UK’s response to the conflict with Iran as he defended Britain’s “level-headed” military response. In a press conference on Thursday, Starmer suggested President Trump had left the Middle East “plunged into chaos” with his attack on the Iranian regime over the weekend. He said the [...]
‘Patronising gibberish’ – Top Tory slams Labour’s ‘masculine’ job ad crackdown March 5, 2026 Labour has been criticised for issuing new guidance that warns employers against using ‘masculine’ language in job descriptions. The Office for Equality and Opportunity’s new guidance, published on Wednesday, suggests that businesses swap ‘aggressive character traits’ for more neutral, behaviour-based criteria. The document urges businesses to use neutral language and titles, including “avoid terms associated [...]