As it happened: FTSE 100 finishes higher as US-Iran talks progress and Starmer resigns; Space X shares fall after bond sale June 22, 2026 Welcome back to the City AM liveblog. Markets are set to start off the new week facing renewed threats on both the domestic and geopolitical front. Over the weekend, fractures that were forming in the US-Iran peace deal burst wide open after Iran’s top military command said it shut the Strait of Hormuz after “violations” [...]
Brexit 10 years on: Labour’s EU reset deal is ‘no growth strategy’ June 22, 2026 The Labour government’s “reset” deal with the EU is not delivering substantial gains on growth, trade specialists and economists have warned on the anniversary of the Brexit referendum’s polling day. The government’s first deal with the EU struck in May last year, which will be ratified by parliament in a bill over the course of [...]
Starmer will resign, Trump says June 21, 2026 Sir Keir Starmer is set to announce his resignation as early as Monday, according to media reports and President Trump, after Andy Burnham’s victory in Makerfield paved the way for his ascent to Downing Street. Starmer will set out timings for his exit in a speech on Monday, The Observer newspaper reported, after his grip [...]
Kaleb Cooper: Brits don’t care about the price of milk June 19, 2026 Brits don’t care about the price of milk, Kaleb Cooper has said, as he urged shoppers to buy more locally-made produce. The Clarkson’s Farm star told City AM that farmers would be “very, very grateful” for price rises if passed on to producers amid a battle to stay profitable in the face of higher costs. [...]
Judge rejects Gatwick Airport bid to block new relaxed runway slot rules June 19, 2026 A High Court judge has refused Gatwick’s request for an immediate emergency freeze to stop the new 70 per cent rule from starting today. The UK government temporarily reduced the “use it or lose it” slot usage requirement at major UK airports, including Gatwick Airport, from the standard 80 per cent to 70 per cent [...]
Burnham must walk a tightrope on his ascent to Downing Street June 19, 2026 After Andy Burnham cleared the path for a run at the Labour leadership with an emphatic win in the Makerfield by-election. Maurício Alencar sketches out what an Andy Burnham government could look like – and the balancing act he faces on the way there Despite romping home to victory in the Makerfield by-election on Friday, [...]
Burnham turns to ex-OBR and Bank of England chiefs on economic policy June 19, 2026 Andy Burnham has turned to a crop of heavyweight economic advisers, including a former Bank of England economist and the ex-head of the Office for Budget Responsibility, in a bid to bolster his economic credentials ahead of a potential Labour leadership challenge, it has been reported. The new MP for Makerfield has sought advice from [...]
The Bank of England is keeping Britain in the waiting room June 19, 2026 The MPC’s decision to holding the Bank rate for the fourth meeting is downstream of a government, and a country, that’s run out of ideas, says Emmanuel Igwe What sound does a country make when it has run out of ideas? Rather than cacophonous noise or a muted groan, I would say that sound is [...]
Retail sales jump as third-warmest May on record sends Brits to the high street June 19, 2026 UK retail sales climbed in May, as consumers flocked back to the high street amid the heatwave and showed sustained demand for new electronic products. Retail sales volumes are estimated to have increased by 1.2 per cent in May, following a 1 per cent fall in April as fears over the Iran war caused Brits [...]
UK government borrowing overshoots expectations on day Burnham elected June 19, 2026 UK government borrowing jumped higher than expected than expected in May, official data has shown, with Andy Burnham’s win in Makerfield now setting up a potential shift in public finance forecasts. The Office for National Statistics said the government’s net borrowing was £23.2bn in May, above economists’ £19bn prediction. Further government borrowing came as debt [...]