How high will Starmer let fuel prices climb? March 31, 2026 Petrol station forecourts were gripped by panic buying, industry groups warned of the crippling economic impact, supermarkets began rationing bread and milk, hospitals were cancelling appointments, schools closed, the army was on standby and Labour ministers appeared on the brink of losing control of the country. That was just over 25 years ago, when truckers [...]
Debenhams shares jump as turnaround gains pace March 30, 2026 Shares in Debenhams bounced on Monday as the fashion giant reported better-than-expected performance as it said it is making “significant progress” on its turnaround. Debenhams Group, which was renamed from Boohoo last year, said its underlying earnings grew by 76 per cent in the last six months after the retailer slashed costs and revamped its [...]
Retail sales fall as Brits cut back on supermarket spending March 27, 2026 Retail sales fell in February, as low spending in food and household goods stores could not offset the strong performance of online sellers. The quantity of goods bought in February fell by 0.4 per cent, down from the surprise two per cent rise in January, which was revised up from 1.8 per cent, according to [...]
Nato: Starmer’s defence spending pledge lagging behind March 26, 2026 Sir Keir Starmer’s pledge to upgrade the armed forces is facing renewed scrutiny after official Nato figures suggested that spending in defence was lagging ahead of a crucial expenditure target in 2027. Starmer said last year that the government would increase spending on defence to 2.6 per cent of GDP from 2027. But Nato, the [...]
Why Westminster’s finest keep ending up on Big Tech’s payroll March 26, 2026 There is a sense of irony in that the employees Silicon Valley’s tech giants most want to hire, are actually the ones who spent years in the public sector trying to work out what to do about them. Nick Clegg, who served as deputy Prime Minister sat through more than one anxious Whitehall discussion about [...]
Next: Iran war costs retailer £15m and could push up prices March 26, 2026 High street giant Next has said it will take a £15m hit from the soaring air freight and fuel prices caused by the Iran war, as it races to make savings elsewhere to offset the costs. The FTSE 100 firm said it expects the conflict to constrain its growth in the Middle East, which accounts [...]
Peter Kyle hints at push for EU customs union return March 25, 2026 Business and trade secretary Peter Kyle suggested joining the EU’s customs union could improve the UK’s economic prospects, with new data suggesting that trade flows in London boomed last year. After being asked twice whether war in the Middle East provided a stronger case for the UK to join the customs union, Kyle refused to [...]
A hundred not out… yet: Why Veeraswamy is in trouble March 25, 2026 Veeraswamy, the Michelin-starred Indian restaurant on Regent Street, celebrated its centenary on 18 March. But it has found itself in the headlines for other reasons recently: glowingly reviewed by City AM’s own Adam Bloodworth two years ago, it is now in dispute with its landlord, the Crown Estate. Campaigners have even called for the King [...]
Rocco Forte: Inheritance tax grab has endangered my family firm March 25, 2026 With luxury outposts across Europe, and plans to expand to the Gulf, Rocco Forte Hotels has become one of Britain’s most successful hospitality exports. But after being hit by a wave of damaging policies – including a potentially existential inheritance tax crackdown – he tells Ali Lyon, he is more disillusioned with Britain now, than [...]
Revolut and Nationwide sharpen swords in battle to bank Britain March 25, 2026 The claws are out in the battle to bank Britain and in this week’s column Samuel Norman takes a look at the latest shots fired from Revolut and Nationwide. If you had ‘Graham Norton sitting on a horse’ on your banking bingo card, congratulations. The BBC chat show host has swapped his famous sofa with [...]