Tube strikes: Londoners braced for RMT walkouts from next week April 16, 2026 A series of six Tube strikes will start from next week, which have been described by Transport for London (TfL) as “completely unnecessary”. In a fresh blow to London businesses, the entire London Underground network will be disrupted for two 24-hour chunks – from midday Tuesday to Wednesday – and then the same time period [...]
UK economy jumped above forecasts before Iran war April 16, 2026 The UK economy was growing ahead of expectations before the war in the Middle East erupted, official data has shown. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said GDP grew by 0.5 per cent over February, though City analysts have suggested the figures are “too good to be true” given trends seen in recent years. In [...]
PwC consulting overhaul reveals AI reckoning for the Big Four April 16, 2026 The influx of AI is putting the Big Four’s structures under strain, and cracks are beginning to appear in their consultancy divisions, argues senior reporter Maria Ward-Brennan. The industry is facing a storm of problems, including over-recruitment during the pandemic, low staff attrition rates due to economic issues, and a drop in fees as the [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Entain leads modest stock jump; Surprise growth ‘pushed to rear view’ April 16, 2026 Good morning and welcome back to the City AM liveblog. Markets are betting the latest round of peace talks will bring some resolution to the conflict in the Middle East. US markets managed to clinch a record high close on the latest news of peace talks but in London the FTSE 100 splintered and finished [...]
On this day in 1660: The birth of Sir Hans Sloane, father of the Sloane Ranger April 16, 2026 On this day, 16 April, in 1660, Sir Hans Sloane, whose name would later be lent to London socialite class the Sloane Rangers, was born.
KBRA Assigns Preliminary Ratings to Harvest Funding PLC April 15, 2026 KBRA UK (KBRA) assigns preliminary ratings to seven classes of notes issued by Harvest Funding PLC, a static RMBS securitisation backed by a seasoned non-conforming portfolio of United Kingdom (UK) residential mortgage loans, comprising performing, in-arrears and past-term exposures. The portfolio aggregates to £2.0 billion of first lien loans which are secured by owner occupied [...]
CoStar Data Shows London Office Construction at Record High as NYC Sees Sharp Decline April 15, 2026 The gap between office construction volumes in London and New York City reached a record high in the second half of 2025, according to data from CoStar, a global leading provider of online real estate marketplaces, information and analytics in the property markets. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260415582253/en/ Over [...]
Franco Manca shuts 16 restaurants, blaming ‘disproportionate’ taxes April 15, 2026 Franco Manca has taken aim at “disproportionately high” taxes facing the hospitality sector after the pizza parlour shut 16 restaurants in a structural overhaul. The privately-owned restaurant chain said it is suffering from high VAT and “significant” hikes to national insurance and minimum wages, with the site closures to cost hundreds of jobs. The move [...]
Pizza king points to youth joblessness as restaurant group eyes takeovers April 15, 2026 The boss of restaurant group Bow Street raised concerns over youth joblessness as the firm behind Dim T slipped into an annual loss, but outlined his dealmaking plans. David Page, now the chief executive of the Aim-listed firm, is a former boss of Pizza Express and played a key role in the expansion of Franco [...]
Standard Life snaps up Aegon UK for £2bn to create savings giant April 15, 2026 Standard Life has snapped up the UK’s largest investment platform Aegon UK in a £2bn deal. The FTSE 100 giant – previously known as Phoenix Group – said the deal would create the UK’s top retirement savings and income business with near 16m customers and £480bn in assets under administration. Standard Life expects an annual [...]