By: Maurício Alencar

Politics and Economics Reporter Maurício Alencar is City AM’s Economics and City Reporter. He covers UK economics data ranging from inflation to immigration, as well as the Bank of England, the Treasury, business surveys, and all stories important or interesting to the City of London. He used to cover foreign news and sports at various publications – plus investigations, which he plans to continue to pursue.

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FTSE 100 Live: Gilt yields soar, Bank of England rate hike fears grow, Wetherspoon shares tumble

March 20, 2026

Good morning from the City AM liveblog team. Stocks made gains on Friday morning after a statement from Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu that he could see “this war ending a lot faster than people think” reassured markets that conflict in the Middle East could soon recede. The remarks follow further missile strikes by the US [...]
‘Confidence exits UK economy’: FTSE 100 dips below 10,000 mark

March 19, 2026

The FTSE 100 dipped below the 10,000 mark as stocks plunged on Thursday on fears the war in the Middle East was set to bring regional energy production to a halt. Traders sold off assets en masse over the course of the day, with the FTSE 100 falling by some 2.5 per cent amid turmoil [...]
Bank of England holds interest rates in unanimous decision

March 19, 2026

Interest rates have been held as policymakers at the Bank of England warned the war in Iran could send prices spiralling as soon as April. Members of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) left interest rates unchanged at 3.75 per cent, with guidance to cutting rates in upcoming meetings now being dropped altogether. Several policymakers, including [...]
Sadiq Khan urges Labour to back return to EU

March 19, 2026

Sadiq Khan has called for Labour to campaign for the UK to rejoin the European Union, days after Rachel Reeves delivered one of the most Europhile speeches since Brexit. The London Mayor said his party should move beyond discussions about access to the single market or joining the customs union by 2030, and instead move [...]
UK job market weakens as economy set to worsen

March 19, 2026

The jobs market failed to provide more positive signs for the UK economy as official data suggested that fewer postings were available for job seekers. An estimate published on Thursday showed that the number of payrolled employees dropped by 49,000 in February while data showed a small rise in January. The Office for National Statistics [...]
Bank of England Live: Interest rates held in first unanimous vote in eight years

March 19, 2026

Welcome back to City AM‘s ongoing coverage of the interest rates decision. Interest rates have been held as rate-setters at the Bank of England warned the war in Iran could send prices spiralling as soon as April. In the first totally unanimous vote in eight years, all members of the Monetary Policy Committee voted to [...]
Interest rates set to be held as Bank backs ‘defensible strategy’

March 19, 2026

The Bank of England is set to hold interest rates at a crunch decision this afternoon as policymakers will opt for a “defensible strategy” in the face of uncertainty from the war in the Middle East. Markets have all but priced in a pause in interest rate cuts on Thursday, with most Monetary Policy Committee [...]
UK to raise steel tariffs in bid to ‘save domestic production’

March 19, 2026

The UK government has reduced steel import quotas and raised tariffs to 50 per cent outside unit limits as part of a strategy to save the industry, an “bold” move that is likely to draw criticism from economists and opposition groups. Quotas for imports free from the higher tariffs will be reduced by 60 per [...]
‘Panic mode’: FTSE 100 sinks as oil spikes on Iran’s energy threats

March 18, 2026

Markets were thrown into “panic mode” on Wednesday as the surging price of oil rattled global equities. The price of Brent crude – the international benchmark for oil – spiked as much as five per cent to $110 per barrel as energy facilities across the Gulf faced evacuation following the latest threats from Iran. The [...]
MPs urge government to escape ‘regulation by default’

March 18, 2026

Ministers should overhaul the government’s approach to regulation as adding new rules has become an “easy” tool, according to a report backed by MPs from across the political spectrum. Researchers at Re:State, a non-partisan think tank focusing on growth and Whitehall governance, said justification for new red tape should have a higher bar and be [...]

Virgin Atlantic ends British Airways grip on Team GB partnership

Virgin Atlantic ends British Airways grip on Team GB partnership

Electra/Persona at the National Theatre review: A dull mash-up of Sophocles and Bergman

By: Maurício Alencar

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