Kwasi Kwarteng: Labour ‘at risk’ without more tax rises amid bond jitters March 9, 2026 The government risks being plunged into crisis unless it prepares for another bruising round of tax hikes to cover sharp rises in energy subsidies, former chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng has warned. In an interview with City AM, Kwarteng said taxes could be put up as soon as November if the government pushes ahead with proposals for [...]
‘Terrifying’: Iran threatens $200 oil price if US-Israel strikes continue March 9, 2026 A spokesman for the Iranian military has given a chilling warning that the cost of a barrel of oil could rocket to $200 if the war with Israel and the US continues. The price of oil has continued to surge amid escalating tensions in the Middle East, which have triggered strikes on production sites and [...]
Oil importing markets’ share prices slide amid Iran energy crisis March 9, 2026 Oil importing markets across Asia and Europe suffered a sharp stock sell-off in early morning trading, after crude oil prices rocketed to their highest levels in four years amid the US-Israel war with Iran. The price of oil breached the $100 (£74.90) mark for the first time since the 2022 energy crisis, which was triggered [...]
Barclays joins run of mortgage rate hikes in blow to borrowers March 9, 2026 Barclays has become the latest in a flurry of mortgage lenders to hike their rates amid mounting fears the Bank of England will keep the base interest rates higher for longer following the war in the Middle East. The blue-chip banking giant has slapped a 0.1 per cent increase on rates on a selection of [...]
Will the Bank of England raise interest rates amid Iran war energy crisis? March 9, 2026 Traders are betting on interest rate hikes this year as Rachel Reeves and Sir Keir Starmer have consulted analysts at the Bank of England to monitor the impact of spiralling oil prices on the UK economy. Investors believe interest rates are more likely to rise than fall by the end of the year, with a [...]
Rolls-Royce shares slide as FTSE 100 plunges amid Iran war March 9, 2026 A dramatic stock plummet from blue-chip giant Rolls-Royce helped drag the FTSE 100 deeper into the red on Monday morning as fears surrounding the economic impact of the Iran war ramped up. Shares in the aerospace giant were down as much as five per cent at open, before clawing back some gains to a three [...]
Government borrowing costs mount on fears of inflation spike March 9, 2026 Government borrowing costs have climbed on escalating fears that the war in the Middle East will push up inflation and leave interest rates higher. The 10-year gilt yield jumped by some 14 basis points on Monday morning as traders continue selling off their gilt holdings over mounting fears that interest rates could rise. Longer-term gilt [...]
G7 ministers to discuss joint release of emergency oil reserves March 9, 2026 G7 finance ministers are set to discuss a possible joint release of petroleum from reserves coordinated by the International Energy Agency in an emergency meeting on Monday, as they look to tackle surging oil prices amid the conflict in the Gulf. Ministers will hold a call with International Energy Agency’s (IEA) executive director Faith Birol [...]
FTSE 100 Live: US stocks sink on open; Iran warns oil price could hit $200 March 9, 2026 Good morning and welcome back to the City AM liveblog. The chaos in global markets of last following the breakout of conflict in the Middle East is poised to continue as tensions in the Gulf showed no sign of slowing down over the weekend. The price of oil notched its highest gains in a single [...]
Small house building firms in ‘existential crisis’ as sales rates plummet March 9, 2026 Falling sales are pushing small and medium-sized (SME) house builders into an “existential crisis” that could threaten the government’s house building ambitions. SME house builders have seen average sales drop by 41 per cent between 2021 and 2025, according to a report by estate agents Savills for the Land, Planning and Development Federation (LPDF). The [...]