House prices fall for first time in three years as borrowing costs weigh on buyers September 7, 2026 House prices fell in the year to August in the first annual decrease in nearly three years, as high borrowing costs cause prospective buyers to “sit tight”. The average UK house price edged down 0.2 per last month to £298,468, according to Lloyds’ house price index. This marks a 0.4 per cent year-on-year fall, the [...]
Healey launches £150m northern scale-up fund September 7, 2026 Chancellor John Healey is to pile £150m into start-ups in the North of England as part of the government’s bid to use devolution to drive economic growth. Healey will announce a new fund designed to back university spin outs and other start-ups in Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield and Newcastle. The Chancellor will announce the fund, [...]
Has Reform managed to win over the City? September 5, 2026 Reform UK officials hope that its first-ever Business Day paid dividends at its conference. Maurício Alencar reports on a dramatic 72 hours in Birmingham and asks whether industry chiefs are satisfied with what they’ve heard and seen. Asked for an umbrella phrase to describe Reform’s economic philosophy, policy guru Dr James Orr responded that the [...]
Inflation expectations softer than predicted ahead of interest rate decision September 4, 2026 Firms intend to raise prices over the next year on average at a lower rate than many economists have expected, Bank of England research has shown, easing concerns that the UK economy is heading for a deeper cost of living crisis. The Decision Makers’ Panel, a Bank survey of how far firms plan to raise [...]
Andrew Bailey: Populism a threat to global economy September 4, 2026 The groundswell of populist politics threatens to undermine central banks’ independence and hamper their ability to protect the long-term interests of the global economy, Andrew Bailey has warned. In a speech in London, the Bank of England governor accused populist parties of trying to exert increasing levels of influence over monetary authorities the world over, [...]
Jenrick refuses to rule out bank tax September 3, 2026 Reform UK’s Treasury spokesman refused to rule out a banking tax mooted by the party’s leader Nigel Farage, who said he would hit lenders because he didn’t “like” them. Speaking at a Reform conference event organised by City industry representatives, Jenrick said the party had not committed to banking taxes. However, the party’s economic chief [...]
Bank of England’s Pill warns against ‘wait and see’ interest rates approach September 3, 2026 The Bank of England’s chief economist has warned that a “wait and see approach” to setting interest rates amid the ongoing Iran war could unleash a fresh wave of inflation that the central bank will find hard to contain if left unchecked. Huw Pill, who has long been one of the most hawkish rate-setters on [...]
As it happened: Vodafone leads FTSE 100 rally after TV launch; oil jumps again September 3, 2026 Welcome back to the City AM liveblog. Telecoms giants Vodafone and Airtel Africa led a FTSE 100 rally on Thursday afternoon. Investors brushed off early losses caused by the steep sell-off in the the bond market. Two-year gilt yields, which gauges short term interest rate expectations, have jumped over 4.5 per cent, pushing up borrowing [...]
Family businesses are the economy’s great survivors September 3, 2026 Family businesses in this country are not just widely ignored, they are frequently looked down upon. But they are among the most innovative and longest standing companies around, says Nigel Cope In discussions about how business can help deliver economic growth in Britain, family businesses rarely get a look-in. The talk is of big corporates, [...]
Mortgage nightmare as investors price in three interest rate hikes September 2, 2026 Investors have priced in three interest rate hikes over the next two years as a global bond market rout sent UK gilt yields soaring. Two-year gilt yields, which gauges short term interest rate expectations, have jumped over 4.5 per cent, pushing up borrowing costs and putting the UK’s economic stability under threat. The Bank of [...]