As it happened: Miners fuel FTSE 100 recovery; oil jumps as Trump claims Strait of Hormuz August 19, 2026 Welcome back to the City AM liveblog. The FTSE 100 is falling on Wednesday as oil prices continue their march upwards and investors digest a jump in inflation. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) put the consumer price index inflation reading at 2.9 per cent for the 12 months to July. The previous inflation reading [...]
Tories say households could save £540 a year by scrapping net zero August 18, 2026 The Conservatives have said that households could save about £540 a year after 2030 if net zero regulations are scrapped with a commitment to make energy as cheap as possible. A report published by centre-right think tank Onward and backed by the Tories said the cost of net zero came to an extra £540 per [...]
Picky Brits: Heatwave fuels surge in finger food spending August 18, 2026 Record summer temperatures have driven a surge in “picky bits” spending as British shoppers rush to the chilled aisle in a boost to UK supermarkets. The sweltering heat is causing Brits to cut back their grocery bills, instead spending little and often on items like olives and quiche, according to figures from Worldpanel by Numerator. [...]
Public sector makes wage growth higher than expected August 18, 2026 Wage growth was higher than expected as pay offers in the public sector far outweighed growth in the private sector, new data has revealed. Official statistics have shown that wage growth, including bonuses, reached 4.1 per cent between April and June compared to a market forecast of four per cent. This was still lower than [...]
Jenrick: Welfare cuts worth £50bn allows us to ‘sustainably pay’ triple lock pension August 17, 2026 Reform UK’s Robert Jenrick has said a £50bn welfare cut plan allows the state to “sustainably pay” for the triple lock pension. In a press conference on Monday, Jenrick said plans to strip welfare from around 3m people, including foreign nationals, would be the biggest overhaul of the benefits system in a generation. Jenrick said [...]
Burnham’s crackdown on ‘price-gouging’ splits supermarkets August 17, 2026 Tesco and Sainsbury’s have stood firm after the boss of Aldi hit out at loyalty discounts, as a “price-gouging” row threatens to divide British supermarkets. Giles Hurley, the chief executive of the discount grocer, has backed the government’s plans to clamp down on retailers which offer “misleading” discounts which do not offer real-terms value. Aldi [...]
US bond market jitters spark UK economy recession warning August 17, 2026 The UK economy could be plunged into a recession an “order of magnitude” greater than recent financial crises if America’s borrowing costs continue to climb over the rest of the year, a group of leading City analysts have warned. The US was forced to pay the highest interest rate on its long-dated bonds for a [...]
Aldi boss wades into supermarket ‘price-gouging’ row August 16, 2026 The boss of Aldi has waded into the bitter row over whether supermarkets are profiteering off of struggling customers as he backed a government crackdown on “rip-off” discounts. Giles Hurley, the chief executive of the discount grocer, said the government is “right” to take on misleading discounts and promotions “in their work to tackle cost [...]
Soaring energy bills set to fuel inflation spike August 16, 2026 Rising energy prices are poised to send UK inflation rearing back up, as economists warn that the summer boost to the economy could be fleeting. The rate of Consumer Prices Index (CPI) inflation is tipped to rise to 2.9 per cent in July, climbing from June’s 15-month low of 2.6 per cent, when the Office [...]
Summer loving! 9 amazing things to do in London this August August 13, 2026 We round up the best things to do in London this August Are you staying in the City this month, or fleeing the urban heat to enjoy these climes somewhere more appropriate, like a beach? If you’re staying put in the Square Mile this August, fear not: we’ve got you covered. Here are some of [...]