Dunelm shares crater as hot weather undermines growth plan September 8, 2026 Shares in Dunelm plummeted after its new boss warned that record summer temperatures had posed an early hurdle to her plans to kick off growth at the furniture and homeware seller. Clo Moriarty, who joined the group from Sainsbury’s in October last year, said progress towards her new strategy has so far been delayed by [...]
Labour takes narrow lead over Reform as donation row wounds Farage September 8, 2026 Labour has taken a narrow polling lead over Reform UK for the first time in a year and a half as voters warmed to Andy Burnham in September. The latest City AM/Freshwater Strategy poll has shown that Labour now enjoys 26 per cent of the voter share, ahead of Reform UK, which is on 25 [...]
Retail sales slow as heatwave boost cools September 8, 2026 The heatwave boost fuelling summer sales cooled last month, as Brits cut back on retail spending to deal with rising bills. Retail sales grew by 0.7 per cent in the year to August, marking a significant slowdown compared to 3.1 per cent growth in August 2025, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC). August’s rate [...]
Can John Healey deliver the growth the UK needs? September 7, 2026 The Chancellor John Healey says growth will provide the “pathway out of indebtedness and into prosperity”. But the path is a difficult one to tread, write Mauricio Alencar. When it was announced that John Healey would be delivering a speech in Coventry, it was assumed that he would be visiting Jaguar Land Rovers’s headquarters with [...]
The Fed wants you to get used to higher interest rates September 7, 2026 Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh is urging markets to stop relying on central bank guidance and instead independently interpret economic data, signalling a shift toward a paradigm where higher interest rates are accepted as a component of a high-growth, prosperous economy, says Helen Thomas “We should not indulge a regime in which market participants are [...]
Five premium electric saloons, judged on more than price September 7, 2026 BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Audi and Porsche all want to sell you a luxury saloon that happens to be electric, but each one goes about it differently. Here’s what actually sets them apart, before we even get to the finance offers. A few years ago, choosing an electric executive car meant accepting you were buying something a [...]
KBRA Assigns Preliminary Ratings to BUMPER BE GREEN 2026-1 September 7, 2026 KBRA Europe (KBRA) assigns a preliminary rating to the Class A notes to be issued by Bumper BE NV/SA, acting on behalf of its compartment named “Compartiment No.3” (BUMPER BE GREEN 2026-1), a Belgian operating auto lease ABS transaction. Credit enhancement consists of subordination, excess spread and cash reserves. BUMPER BE GREEN 2026-1 will be [...]
UK jobs seekers rise despite recovery in permanent hiring September 7, 2026 Rising redundancies and heightened employment insecurity drove a sharp increase in UK job seekers in August despite the permanent hiring market showing its first signs of recovery in nearly four years. Total staff availability rose at its fastest rate in three months as Brits hunting for roles flooded the market. This influx was triggered by [...]
‘King of Mayfair’ Richard Caring hits out at ‘lacklustre’ economy September 7, 2026 Richard Caring, dubbed the ‘King of Mayfair’, has blamed the UK’s “lacklustre” economy for falling sales at his luxury restaurant group. The hospitality tycoon’s Caprice Holdings reported a four per cent dip in revenue to £90.5m in the year to January, which it blamed on rising employment costs and US tariffs. Caring’s hospitality group includes [...]
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, [...]