Burnham risks £4bn bill in Thames Water special administration Politics Andy Burnham’s plans to push Thames Water into special administration could leave the taxpayer to foot a £4bn bill. The incoming Prime Minister is facing a crunch decision over how to deal with the struggling utility and is expected to use a special administration regime (SAR) to keep it running until a buyer is found. [...]
UK economy tipped to stall as Iran war chokes growth Economics The UK’s economy is expected to stall another month as the Iran war continues to choke growth and some industries face slowing output. Gross domestic product (GDP) is expected to have slipped again by 0.1 per cent in May, according to some economists. The UK’s growth update, delivered by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) [...]
Rachel Reeves’ legacy of tinkering with the City is not enough, says Mel Stride Economics Sir Mel Stride has branded Rachel Reeves’ legacy in government as mere “tinkering” with City reform as the top Tory predicted her successor will create a “hostile” environment for the banking sector. In an interview with City AM, the shadow Chancellor branded Reeves’ two-years in the Treasury as “managerial incrementalism,” adding it was “not enough”. [...]
Singapore on Thames or the Sick Man of Europe?: The Economics of Brexit Ten Years from the Referendum July 9, 2026 Paul Johnson, former director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies and Robert Johnson of the Centre for Cities analyse the economic impact of Brexit and its promise of deregulation and growth Since the Brexit referendum of 2016, and since actually leaving the EU in January 2021, the UK’s economic performance has been feeble. On a [...]
UK borrowing costs surge as Trump declares Iran ceasefire over July 8, 2026 UK borrowing costs surged and the price of oil leapt to a two week-high on Wednesday after Donald Trump suggested his already-fragile ceasefire deal with Iran was over. The yield on ten-year gilts – the primary benchmark for how much it costs the government to borrow – stormed 11 basis points higher to 4.96 per [...]
Speed or stability? Bond markets strap in for Andy Burnham coronation June 22, 2026 City bond traders are strapping in for a “jumpy” ride as Andy Burnham looks set to cruise into Downing Street uncontested – even if a coronation helps head off the worst volatility, analysts have said. The former Manchester Mayor’s bid for the top job won a major boost today as former health secretary Wes Streeting [...]
Andy Haldane: Britain after Brexit June 18, 2026 The UK economy is suffering from deep-seated psychological scarring caused by a sequence of crises, which necessitates a strategic re-imagining of the state’s role in generating growth, says Andy Haldane We are fast approaching the ten-year anniversary of Brexit – an event that is sure to leave a large and lasting scar on our economy, [...]
Government should fix ‘stubbornly weak’ growth with policy test, industry body argues June 15, 2026 The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) is calling on the government to break decades of low economic growth by introducing a new delivery test, as businesses continue to slash investment under the burden of mounting costs. In the BCC diagnoses, the UK’s growth problem is not a lack of potential but a failure to turn [...]
Never forget the undeniable moral case for capitalism June 11, 2026 Critics of capitalism describe it as immoral. In pointing to subjective (and sometimes objective) examples of unethical or harmful behaviour they conclude that capitalism is the enabling or even necessary force. Others, in so far as they stop to think about it, may conclude that the free-market system is amoral; that it is utterly indifferent [...]
Even Zack Polanski’s favourite economist admits wealth taxes don’t work June 8, 2026 Gabriel Zucman has told Zack Polanski’s podcast that wealth taxes don’t work – so why are they both so keen to bring them back? Asks Kristian Niemietz “The historical experience with wealth taxation, by and large, is a failure. Pretty big failure.” Who said that? Was it an economist from a Tufton Street think tank? [...]