Barclays reverses branch cuts as bank managers return to high street April 4, 2026 Barclays is planning to expand its high street presence and revive the “bank manager” role after years of rapid branch closures. The bank’s UK chief executive Vim Maru told the Times on Saturday that Barclays would increase its branch network beyond its current 206 sites, having already paused a programme that saw it shut around [...]
M&S boss: Sadiq Khan is soft on crime April 3, 2026 Marks and Spencer has hit out at the Mayor of London for being soft on crime, after crowds of young people have targeted London shops in the past week. Thinus Keeve, the supermarket’s retail director, has called on Sadiq Khan to crack down on violent disorder against retailers, after a Marks and Spencer (M&S) shop [...]
Robotaxis are coming to London, but will they make money? April 3, 2026 The arrival of driverless ride-hailing would not simply mark a technological milestone. It could also test whether autonomous mobility can ever become a profitable business, says Michael Lenox A black Jaguar SUV with no one behind the wheel pulls up on a London street. It’s electric and equipped with Waymo’s autonomous driving system. A passenger [...]
Bond traders: Bank of England gilt shake-up would ‘concentrate risks’ in market meltdown April 2, 2026 Bank of England plans to reduce the bond market’s vulnerability to a Liz Truss-style crash would fail to improve financial stability and could make stress points worse, according to gilt traders and hedge funds polled by the Bank. Responses to the central bank’s plans to overhaul its regulation of the gilt repo market showed market [...]
Space X kicks off IPO process with confidential filing April 2, 2026 Elon Musk’s Space X has confidentially filed to go public, bringing the rocket company a step closer to delivering what is expected to be the largest initial public offering in history. The Texas-based company submitted its draft IPO paperwork to the US Securities and Exchange Commission this week, according to the Financial Times, citing two [...]
‘Indian food is a universe’: Making a home at Chet Sharma’s BiBi April 2, 2026 Quietly but surely, Chet Sharma is serving up some of the tasty plates of food in London. Carys Sharkey meets the chef reimagining fine dining with a healthy serving of nostalgia If you make your way down Oxford Street, past the shops slinging vapes and candy to indiscriminating kids, weaving through the preachers confirming your [...]
Oil soars as Trump vows to hit Iran ‘extremely hard’ April 2, 2026 The price of oil has spiked by over 7 per cent following Donald Trump’s vow to keep hitting Iran ‘extremely hard’ over the next few weeks, in an address to the nation. After a 17-minute speech on Wednesday evening, which failed to reassure global markets, Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, jumped 5 per cent [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Dow Jones joins City in red; Oil soars on Iran war fears April 2, 2026 Good morning and welcome back to the City AM liveblog. After a dose of optimism hit markets on Wednesday, that looks to all be eradicated come this morning. In a 19-minute long address to the nation, Donald Trump vowed to “finish the job” in Iran and warned the country would be hit “extremely hard” in [...]
Supermarket bosses meet Rachel Reeves amid dire food inflation warning April 1, 2026 The bosses of some of the UK’s biggest supermarkets met Chancellor Rachel Reeves in emergency cost of living talks on Wednesday, amid warnings that food inflation could rise to double digits this year. Leading supermarkets including Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons attended Downing Street after efforts to gather industry bosses last week were abandoned amid concerns [...]
Europe urges fewer flights, remote working as Iran war drains oil supplies April 1, 2026 The spiralling energy crisis is forcing Europe into emergency mode, with politicians urging citizens to work from home, cut back on driving and avoid flying as the conflict in Iran cuts off a critical share of the world’s oil supply. The European Commission’s energy chief, Dan Jørgensen, said Europe is facing a prolonged crisis that [...]