Employment Rights Act: Business braces for shorter strike notices, stronger unions February 18, 2026 The first batch of reforms, following the passage of the Employment Rights Act, came into effect on Wednesday, granting employees new trade union powers. As of Wednesday, measures under the legislation kicked in, including the repeal of most of the Trade Union Act 2016 and the introduction of protections against dismissal for taking industrial action. [...]
Reform UK: Robert Jenrick promises to ‘defuse benefits bomb’ February 18, 2026 Reform UK will restore the two-child benefits cap if it wins the next election, Robert Jenrick has confirmed in a speech in which he branded the Britain’s benefits system an “economic and moral disaster”. In his first formal remarks as the party’s Treasury spokesman, the former Tory shadow justice secretary confirmed Reform no longer supported [...]
Fascinating Wimbledon exhibition reveals players drank champagne on court February 18, 2026 Suzanne Lenglen was the Serena Williams of her day. It was the Roaring Twenties and the six-time Wimbledon women’s singles champion was practically unbeatable. How? In breaks between games, she would neck champagne or cognac, passed to her by either her father or her coach. She gave it up once but then went back to [...]
Russians at Paralympics opens door for LA28 Olympics return, expert warns February 18, 2026 Allowing Russian athletes to compete in the Paralympics under their national flag opens up the same opportunities at the next Olympic Games, according to geopolitical experts. Six Russian and four Belarusian athletes will be able to compete under their native flags at the upcoming Paralympic Games in Milan after the International Paralympic Committee lifted its [...]
Rolls-Royce shares hit new high as FTSE 100 rallies to record February 18, 2026 Rolls-Royce was among a whole host of City heavyweights storming higher on Wednesday helping the FTSE 100 seal another record. The aerospace giant jumped 2.2 per cent to 1,325.50p taking it to a new all-time high ahead of January’s previous peak of 1,305.00p. The move came as defence titan BAE System jumped near four per [...]
UK house prices see modest growth amid London slump February 18, 2026 UK house prices ticked up last year, but the London market continued to lag after property tax speculation and high mortgage rates constrained affordability. The average UK house price increased by 2.4 per cent annually in December 2025, slowing from 2.8 per cent growth in the year to November, according to the latest data from [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Inflation falls to near year-low; BAE leads stock rally February 18, 2026 Good morning and welcome back to the City AM liveblog. Inflation has fallen to a near year-low this morning hitting its slowest pace since March and fuelling hopes that the Bank of England will take the chop to interest rates next month. New data from the Official for National Statistics showed rose the Consumer Price [...]
What happens if workers start wearing Meta glasses to the office? February 18, 2026 Meta smart glasses are going from niche to norm, so what happens when people start wearing them in the office, asks Paul Armstrong.
Employment Rights Act changes could cost Premier League clubs millions February 18, 2026 Premier League clubs could be forced to pay millions in player dismissal fees when Labour changes to the Employment Rights Act come into force next year. It comes as the UK’s unemployment rate reached a near five-year high on Tuesday morning. The Employment Rights Act, a brainchild of former deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, will [...]
John Lewis boosts staff pay despite losses February 18, 2026 Retail giant John Lewis has announced a £108m investment in staff pay despite losses at the retail giant tripling over its last financial year. The John Lewis Partnership, which also owns supermarket Waitrose, announced on Wednesday it will hike shop floor pay by 6.9 per cent, which it says will boost the pay packet of [...]