As it happened: Stocks rise on Iran peace hopes; Asda and Ocado deal May 29, 2026 Good morning and welcome back to the City AM liveblog. After investors kicked into sell-off mode on Thursday amidst spiking tensions as the US and Iran exchanged strikes, attention is quickly turning back to hopes of a peace deal this morning. US and Iranian negotiators are reported to have reached an agreement on a 60-day [...]
Reeves’ summer of fun won’t deliver growth May 29, 2026 Instead of attempting to stimulate demand, Reeves should focus on helping hospitality from the supply-side, writes Matthew Bowles.
I’m a social landlord, but London housing needs the private sector May 29, 2026 Any mention of the private sector is met with rejection, or even disgust, in some quarters of the social housing sector, but we both need each other, writes Andy Hulme.
Moving abroad won’t save you from the British tax man May 29, 2026 Brits have become ensnared in tax traps following an upheaval of the system by Chancellor Rachel Reeves in the past two Autumn Budgets. UK households have been slammed by a number of shake-ups, including an extended freeze of the income tax thresholds, a hike to dividend tax and a new ‘mansion tax’ on properties valued [...]
Property rich, pension poor: Meet the ‘sleepwalking’ generation May 28, 2026 Those born between 1965 and 1980 could suffer from weaker retirement prospects despite being deemed property rich, after failing to be included in generous pension schemes. The so-called Generation X are at risk of “sleepwalking” into an inadequate retirement, regardless of their high exposure to property, owning twice as many buy-to-let homes as Baby Boomers, [...]
Workplace NDA ban may lead to more tribunals May 28, 2026 A government proposal to ban the use of non-disclosure agreements in cases of workplace harassment or discrimination may make it harder for disputes to be settled outside of tribunals. The proposal, ‘Make Work Pay’, which is open for consultation until 8 July and part of the recent overhaul of the Employment Rights Act, would ban [...]
Treasury still has £5bn to spend on Covid-19 – taking total bill to £385bn May 28, 2026 The Treasury has said it still needs to spend £5bn more on Covid-19 measures more than four years after the last lockdown restriction was lifted, taking the total estimated costs to taxpayers to £385bn. In a cost tracker update on Thursday, the government said it had already spent £380bn on Covid-19 support since the pandemic [...]
Family-owned Tottenham brewer falls into administration as industry pressures mount May 28, 2026 A beloved family-owned Tottenham brewery that was a key player in London’s craft beer renaissance has fallen into administration amidst mounting cost pressures on the industry. Redemption Brewing Company, which was the first commercial brewery to open in Tottenham in nearly 100 years, is officially listed on the formal register of new insolvency appointments as [...]
Visa data leak piles pressure on Britain’s digital ID push May 28, 2026 The leak of more than 100,000 passport scans and biometric selfies linked to a third-party visa website has renewed concerns over the security risks surrounding Britain’s growing shift towards digital ID systems. A site operating under the name UK Visa Portal – which is not affiliated with the UK government – was found on Wednesday [...]
Milburn review: Youth unemployment crisis costs £125bn a year due to ‘broken system’ May 28, 2026 The crisis of nearly a million young people who are out of education, employment or training – known as ‘Neets’ – costs the UK economy up to £125bn a year, the Alan Milburn review has found, as both the government and the private sector were blamed for failing to address youth unemployment. An extensive report [...]