Middle East war could ‘bring down the economies of the world’ March 6, 2026 The war in the Middle East could “bring down the economies of the world” as oil prices could surge to $150 per barrel if Gulf energy exporters shut production, Qatar’s energy minister has warned. Saad al-Kaabi said that restarting the production of liquified natural gas (LNG) – after it shut down the largest plant in [...]
Watch: War brings Reeves’ failures into focus March 5, 2026 War in the Middle East rendered the Chancellor’s Spring Statement “irrelevant” according to City analysts as the economic impacts of the Iran conflict become frighteningly clear. Rachel Reeves made just a passing mention of the Iran war when she addressed MPs on Tuesday, referring briefly to global instability while trying to paint a picture of [...]
The cost of living crisis is the fault of the public sector, not billionaires March 5, 2026 The Green's newest MP was quick to blame billionaires for the cost of living crisis. Has she looked at the public sector, asks Paul Ormerod.
Living standards to be ‘far bleaker’ after 2026 despite Reeves’ claims March 4, 2026 UK living standards are projected to drop in the two years before the next General Election as economists warned people were heading for “far bleaker” times ahead, turning up the heat on Chancellor Rachel Reeves to deliver on a commitment to ease the cost of living. Economists at the Resolution Foundation, the left-leaning Westminster think [...]
Spring Statement: Rachel Reeves ‘in denial’ as growth slumps March 4, 2026 Rachel Reeves has been accused of being “in denial” as she insisted that her economic plan was working even as growth forecasts were slashed and unemployment was predicted to surpass pandemic-era highs. Responding to yesterday’s Spring Statement, shadow chancellor Mel Stride said Labour’s economic agenda, which has raised the tax burden to a post-war high, [...]
The Debate: Was a ‘quiet’ Spring Statement what businesses needed? March 4, 2026 It was good for the Chancellor's blood pressure, but was it good for business? We hear the case for and against the "boring" Spring Statement.
Brewdog sale: what next for the craft beer giant? March 3, 2026 Brewdog’s bars sat empty on Monday, lights off and beer taps dry, as weeks of frenzied anticipation over the sale of the craft beer titan built to a head. It quickly became clear on Monday afternoon that many of those bars would never see another punter walk through their doors. For the venues lucky enough [...]
Universal handed £6m of taxpayer cash to film Hamnet despite raking in profits of £810m February 27, 2026 American filmmaking giant Universal was handed a £5.7 million government subsidy to make period drama Hamnet even though the studio generated £810 million in profit last year. The blockbuster’s cost to taxpayers is revealed in filings for the film which won the coveted honour of Outstanding British Film at the Baftas on Sunday. The heartbreaking [...]
Politicians and voters must wake up to reality of a zero growth economy February 25, 2026 The past six years have been the worst period for growth in normal peace time since the start of the Industrial Revolution over 200 years ago, says Paul Ormerod The latest estimates from the Office of National Statistics show virtually no growth in the size of the economy in the period October to December 2025. [...]
Takaichi’s gamble paid off, but can she keep investor interest high? February 18, 2026 Japan’s first female prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, roared to victory last week in the biggest landslide election win in postwar history, with voters encouraged by her pledges to revitalise the tired economy. Takaichi’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) won 316 seats, more than two-thirds of seats in parliament’s lower house, granting the prime minister a ‘super-majority’. [...]