Labour peer tells Reeves not to use headroom as ‘piggy bank’ for spending April 28, 2026 A Labour peer has urged Chancellor Rachel Reeves to avoid using her larger fiscal headroom as a “piggy bank” to fund extra government spending increases. A report by senior House of Lords members said the Chancellor should add further protections to public finances, leaping to the defence of the Office for Budget Responsibility for improving [...]
Economy could suffer for eight months after Iran war ends, minister says April 26, 2026 Surging food and energy prices caused by the Iran war could last for more than eight months after the conflict ends, Starmer’s right-hand man has said. Higher petrol, food and plane ticket prices will persist for “eight-plus months” following the end of the conflict, chief secretary to the Prime Minister Darren Jones said. The minister [...]
Tax raids trigger worst start to year on record for businesses April 25, 2026 Tax rises under Labour coupled with the war in Iran have triggered the worst start to the year for businesses on record. Fewer businesses were set up in the first three months of 2026 than in the same period of any year on record, according to figures from the Office of National Statistics. Just 78,655 [...]
Mondi shares slump over Iran war cost warning April 24, 2026 Shares in paper and packaging giant Mondi have slumped after the firm revealed it is facing soaring costs as a result of the Iran war. The FTSE 100 firm saw its share price drop by more than six per cent in early trading, as it warned it has already faced higher energy, raw material and [...]
KBRA Releases Research – UK Building Societies: Resilient Fundamentals as Macro Pressures Weigh on Outlook April 23, 2026 KBRA releases its latest research report evaluating the UK building society sector. We believe the overall creditworthiness of the UK building society sector remains resilient despite ongoing macroeconomic pressures, housing affordability constraints, and elevated geopolitical uncertainty. While the housing market has stabilised following a period of elevated transaction activity, momentum is expected to soften due [...]
How is Vietnam outperforming the FTSE 100? April 23, 2026 The UK’s blue chip stock market index has been outpaced in 2026 by rival benchmarks tracking alternatives in emerging markets, creating some eye-catching comparisons over the returns generated in the year to date. For London and the FTSE 100, it amounts to a change in fortunes. It gained roughly 22 per cent for 2025, in [...]
Supermarkets pile pressure on government to cut energy costs April 23, 2026 Supermarkets are calling on the government to cut taxes on energy to help retailers dodge looming food inflation, with Sainsbury’s, Tesco, M&S and Asda piling pressure on Labour. The boss of Sainsbury’s, the UK’s second-largest grocer, became the latest industry figure to call for the Treasury to step in. On Thursday, the supermarket said it [...]
OG&E to Host Bidgely EmPOWER AI 2026 Annual Conference in New York City April 23, 2026 Alabama Power, Eversource, NV Energy, PSEG Long Island, Xcel Energy and others to share real-world insights on turning intelligence into operational excellence
UK services sector hit with record cost inflation spike after fuel prices surge April 23, 2026 Businesses recorded cost inflation at the highest level since the aftermath of Liz Truss’ chaotic mini-Budget in April as the consequences of the Iran war continued to ripple through the economy. A rapid increase in raw material prices led to a jump in costs for the manufacturing sector but the UK’s all-important services sector – [...]
Tesla leans on AI and robotics as earnings fail to woo investors April 23, 2026 Tesla delivered a mixed first quarter update on Wednesday evening, beating profit expectations but missing on revenue as its core car business continued to come under pressure. The electric vehicle maker reported earnings of 41 cents per share, ahead of the 37 cents expected. Meanwhile, revenue came in at $22.39bn (£16.6bn), dipping slightly below forecasts [...]