Bank of England holds interest rates and overhauls bond sale programme September 17, 2026 The Bank of England has kept interest rates on hold at a sixth consecutive meeting, but warned that they were likely to rise at future meetings unless the threat to energy markets posed by the Iran war begins to ease. The central bank’s Monetary Policy Committee voted six to three to leave rates unchanged, in [...]
Andrew Griffith tells Burnham to rule out Budget tax rises September 16, 2026 Shadow chancellor Andrew Griffith will urge Labour to rule out further tax rises on businesses at next month’s Budget, as the Conservatives set out plans to cut the compliance burden facing small firms and the self-employed. In his first major speech since taking the role, Griffith will call on Andy Burnham and chancellor John Healey [...]
Gore Street Energy narrowly defeats Saba’s wind down vote September 16, 2026 Gore Street Energy Fund has survived an attempt by activist hedge fund Saba Capital to wind it down at its latest annual general meeting, after investors narrowly voted against its discontinuation. The battery fund quashed the Boaz Weinstein-run fund’s efforts to shut it down at its annual general meeting (AGM) on Wednesday, but more than [...]
Gambling giant blames job cuts on Burnham high street crackdown September 16, 2026 Ladbrokes owner Entain has hit out at Andy Burnham’s plans to shake up the high street as the gambling giant blamed the Prime Minister for its decision to cut 400 jobs. The group, which also owns Coral, has announced that it will cut about a fifth of the headcount of its global customer care team, [...]
UK tech scale-ups raise £3.4bn as Burnham faces test over British investment September 16, 2026 Britain’s latest crop of high-growth tech companies have raised £3.4bn between them and employ more than 6,000 people, as Andy Burnham faces pressure to get more British capital behind home-grown firms. Tech Nation on Wednesday unveiled the 50 companies in its Future Fifty 2026 cohort, spanning AI, fintech, health, defence and energy. Together, the companies [...]
Brewdog founder James Watt slams Burnham over Neets crisis September 16, 2026 Brewdog co-founder James Watt has attacked Andy Burnham for “dangerous narratives” around youth joblessness, criticising the government for hiking the cost of employment. The beer tycoon said the Prime Minister is wrong to “blame the system” and should instead cut the cost of hiring workers and “get out of the way”. The Scottish businessman, who [...]
WH Smith warns on profit again as discounting hits margins September 16, 2026 WH Smith has cut its profit target again after warning that intense discounting and “inflation headwinds” are hitting its bottom line. The convenience retailer had initially told investors it could make as much as £105m in pre-tax profit this year, before slashing the target to between £75m and £90m. On Wednesday, the group reduced its [...]
Bank of England under pressure to raise interest rates or risk ‘losing credibility’ September 16, 2026 The Bank of England is facing mounting pressure to raise interest rates on Thursday amid a global bond market rout fuelled by concerns over runaway government borrowing and sticky inflation. Investors told Threadneedle Street it was “essential” to rein in prices before the energy shock triggered by the Iran war spreads through the economy and [...]
Barratt Redrow hopes to defy housebuilding gloom by splashing cash September 15, 2026 As some of London’s listed housebuilders take emergency measures to cut costs amid rising building costs and stagnant demand for homes, one firm is splashing the cash. Barratt Redrow, which will announce its full-year numbers on Wednesday, defied the miserly approach taken by its rivals earlier this summer when it said it will buy back [...]
Bank of England predicted to raise interest rates this year September 14, 2026 The Bank of England will raise interest rates to four per cent by the end of the year, a top Wall Street bank has warned. Goldman Sachs has upgraded its interest rate expectations amid concerns that inflation could jump higher than previously expected. The bank said an interest rate hike this year was more likely [...]