Close Brothers shares soar as bank ‘well positioned’ for £320m motor finance hit April 8, 2026 Close Brothers has insisted it is “well positioned” to absorb the financial hit from the City watchdog’s motor finance redress scheme but added to speculation another legal battle could be on the horizon. The FTSE 250 lender told markets on Wednesday morning that it estimates the cost of the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) redress scheme [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Blue-chip stocks boom on Trump and Iran ceasefire April 8, 2026 Good morning and welcome back to the City AM liveblog. Markets are in line for a major boom this morning after Donald Trump confirmed a two-week ceasefire with Iran shortly ahead of his latest bomb threat deadline. Trump announced the two-week postponement by stating the US and Iran were “very far along” with a “definitive” [...]
Gucci, BYD, Netflix: Who replaces gambling on Premier League shirts? April 8, 2026 The end of the Premier League season is in sight, and for some clubs it could spell a financial nightmare. Not because they’ll inevitably part with millions of pounds to bring in the world’s top talent, but because a key revenue stream could be left vacant come the start of next season. Premier League clubs [...]
A generation risks being put off university just when we need graduates most April 8, 2026 Current public debate, with headlines about student debt, graduate underemployment and a supposedly collapsing graduate jobs market risk the impression that university is no longer a worthwhile investment When Daniela Amodei, co-founder of world-leading AI firm Anthropic, was asked recently whether she regretted her English literature degree, her answer was unequivocal: no. In fact, she [...]
We talked to 12 permanent secretaries about how to rewire the state – here’s what they said April 8, 2026 The path to an integrated digital state must be problem-led, not tech led, says Yatin Mahandru The UK government has an ambitious vision – a ‘rewiring of the British state’ powered by digital and AI. Leadership is clear that “no person’s substantive time should be spent on a task where digital or AI can do [...]
WRITER Survey Finds 60% of Companies Plan to Lay Off Employees Who Won’t Adopt AI April 7, 2026 C-suite executives report they’re creating a two-tiered workforce: 92% are actively cultivating a new class of “AI elite” employees; 75% say their company’s AI strategy is “more for show” than real guidance
Businesses brace for costs as new workers’ rights kick in April 7, 2026 Businesses across Britain are bracing for a sharp hike in costs and hiring struggles as the government’s new workers’ rights laws begin to take effect this week. The British Retail Consortium (BRC), a leading trade body, said the Employment Rights Act risks adding to an onslaught of rising cost pressures facing firms, including wage hikes [...]
As the Big Four cut back on staff BDO is building its own pipeline – from school April 7, 2026 As the accountancy sector faces a “perception problem” among younger talent, advisory giant BDO is moving the goalposts by engaging school-level students. Speaking to City AM, Louise Sayers, audit partner and head of audit, people and culture at BDO, explained that when it comes to attracting new talent, the sector does not have an image problem [...]
I’m in my 30s – here’s why I choose staycations over foreign holidays April 7, 2026 A staycation helps me switch off and reconnect with my home in new ways I was standing in the middle of a beach on the British coastline. The sand was fine and golden, and the horizon was clear so I could see for miles. I was in Camber Sands in East Sussex in the village [...]
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 [...]