Oil slides and stocks surge as US hails ‘chance at peace’ April 8, 2026 Global markets breathed a much-needed sigh of relief on Wednesday morning after it emerged Donald Trump reached a temporary ceasefire agreement with Iran, just hours before a high-stakes deadline in which the US president had threatened to destroy bridges, power plants and swathes of Iranian infrastructure. On Tuesday Trump set a dramatic ultimatum that “a [...]
Energy bills threat recedes but retail and hospitality remain on brink April 8, 2026 Retail and hospitality leaders are optimistic that the Iran-US ceasefire could spare them from the worst energy bill shocks, but are urging the government to address an array of other cost pressures. British businesses had warned that the soaring energy prices caused by the war in the Middle East could be devastating if the conflict [...]
Iran conflict sparks worst month of outflows since Autumn Budget April 8, 2026 The Middle Eastern conflict has triggered the worst bout of equity market outflows in months as investors retreated from stocks over fears of soaring inflation and fuel shortages. Equity fund outflows jumped to £1.4bn in March, a jump of 55.3 per cent compared to February, marking March as the worst month since November 2025, when [...]
Construction firms slash jobs after biggest-ever cost inflation rise April 8, 2026 Construction businesses cut jobs at a faster pace in March while the month-to-month inflation rise was the largest on record in a survey that has existed for 29 years. S&P Global said the difference in a reading for cost inflation between February and March was the largest it had ever recorded since data collection began [...]
Bank of England: Interest rate hike predictions cool as trader sentiment resets April 8, 2026 Fears of several interest rate hikes being made have eased as traders raved at the news of a ceasefire in the Middle East. Markets are now pricing in just one interest rate hike as the two-year gilt yield dropped to 4.1 per cent. The current interest rate is set at 3.75 per cent by the [...]
House prices drop as Iran war shakes property market April 8, 2026 House prices fell in March as the uncertainty caused by the Iran war stifled the property market and spiked fears of interest rate rises. Average house prices fell 0.5 per cent last month, reversing the modest 0.3 per cent February increase, according to Halifax’s house price index. This is the latest signal that the Iran [...]
Workers’ rights laws couldn’t come at a worse time for businesses April 8, 2026 The government’s Employment Rights agenda is becoming a reality, and the timing could scarcely be worse. As the first provisions of the Employment Rights Act come into force, Britain’s economic outlook is darkening rapidly. Growth is faltering under the weight of an energy shock, inflation is stirring again and businesses are staring down a period [...]
Stagflation to batter UK economy as growth grinds to halt April 7, 2026 The UK economy is set to suffer from stagflation over the coming months as growth across the services sector ground to a halt in March, researchers have indicated. The war in the Middle East has brought output growth to its slowest level since last April while input price inflation hit its highest level since the [...]
Interest rate on student loans to be capped April 7, 2026 Interest on student loans will be capped, in an attempt from the government to draw a line under a political row which has engulfed Westminster. Labour has announced that maximum interest rates on Plan 2 and Plan 3 student loans will not rise beyond six per cent from the next academic year starting in September. [...]
On This Day in 1980: America severs diplomatic relations with Iran April 7, 2026 The United States severed diplomatic relations with Iran on April 7, 1980, after the Ayatollah Khomeini refused to order the release of the American hostages who had been held at the US Embassy since the previous November, writes Eliot Wilson If you remember good relations between the United States and Iran, you are at least facing [...]