Coca-Cola brings in restructuring lineup over failed Costa sale June 22, 2026 US beverage giant Coca-Cola has called in a team of restructuring experts to advise on the failed sale of high street drinks retailer Costa Coffee last year. Consultancy firms Alvarez & Marsal and Alix Partners, which both have prominent City presences, are reportedly advising the coffee chain after an attempt to sell it off was [...]
Bank of England waters down stablecoin rules after industry backlash June 22, 2026 The Bank of England has diluted its incoming stablecoin rules after warnings from currency providers that the UK risked falling behind rival jurisdictions in a rapidly growing pocket of the global financial system. In its final framework for regulating the fledgling currencies, which are a digital form of money whose value is pegged to another [...]
HMRC has been overtaxing pensioners for a decade- have you been affected? June 22, 2026 Two weeks ago it was revealed that HMRC has been overcharging millions of pensioners on their tax bill for at least a decade. The taxman had knowingly overcharged taxpayers in receipt of their state pension because of an error in how their income was calculated each year, increasing the bills of up to 8.7m pensioners [...]
Starmer resigns as Prime Minister June 22, 2026 Sir Keir Starmer has resigned as Prime Minister less than two years after winning a landslide victory at the 2024 general election. Starmer had faced mounting pressure in recent days after challenger Andy Burnham swept to victory in the Makerfield by-election. In a speech outside Downing Street, the Prime Minister said his position had become [...]
Babcock predicts global government defence spending spree after hit to profit June 22, 2026 Babcock said it had suffered a £140m financial hit due to delays in a contract with the Royal Navy but reiterated its financial targets for the next year, predicting high spending as global governments plough cash into defence. Profit before tax slumped to £267.2m from £339.4m in the prior year after problems with its Type [...]
David Lloyd gyms limbers up for £4bn London float June 22, 2026 The owner of David Lloyd gyms is considering a £4bn London listing in what would be a major boost for the capital’s stock exchange. TDR Capital, which also owns Asda, is eyeing up the initial public offering (IPO) despite a dearth of high-profile listings in recent years, Morning Wire understands. The private equity firm snapped [...]
Who could be Andy Burnham’s Chancellor? June 22, 2026 As speculation over the Labour leadership grips Westminster, Maurício Alencar looks at the possible candidates for the next Chancellor – an appointment that will face heavy scrutiny by the markets. Andy Burnham’s journey toward Downing Street so far has featured scores of polls outlining his popularity among Labour members and the public, Labour MPs travelling [...]
Ocado to replace founder Steiner as shares plunge June 22, 2026 The board of Ocado is on the hunt for a successor to its founder and chief executive, Tim Steiner, as the e-commerce group faces up to a rapidly falling share price. The FTSE 250 firm, which offers online shopping and warehouse automation services, confirmed on Monday that it is putting together a succession plan for [...]
Castlelake urges Easyjet investors to back £4.7bn takeover bid June 22, 2026 Private equity firm Castlelake is calling on investors in Easyjet to lobby the budget airline to accept its third takeover offer, after the FTSE 250 carrier slapped down its latest bid over the weekend. The bidder said on Monday that Easyjet has rejected three successive takeover bids and criticised the airline for its “unwillingness to [...]
As it happened: FTSE 100 finishes higher as US-Iran talks progress and Starmer resigns; Space X shares fall after bond sale June 22, 2026 Welcome back to the Morning Wire liveblog. Markets are set to start off the new week facing renewed threats on both the domestic and geopolitical front. Over the weekend, fractures that were forming in the US-Iran peace deal burst wide open after Iran’s top military command said it shut the Strait of Hormuz after “violations” [...]