BP chair ousted over ‘volcanic’ behaviour after less than a year May 26, 2026 The chair of BP has been fired after less than a year, after “serious concerns” about his conduct were lodged with the energy major’s board. Albert Manifold was stripped of his roles as chair and director of the London-listed petrochemicals giant having only taken the reins last July, with director Amanda Blanc saying the board [...]
Wes Streeting’s capital gains tax plan risks ‘disrupting’ growth May 26, 2026 Wes Streeting’s plans to align capital gains taxes while introducing an investment allowance could be “disruptive” for growth as City advisers have become divided over the benefits of sweeping reforms. Streeting told the BBC last week that he backed a plan, first proposed by the Centre for the Analysis of Taxation (Centax) and later adopted [...]
Starmer confirms teen rape case sent to Court of Appeal after public outcry May 26, 2026 The Attorney General has sent a rape case, which saw two teenage boys spared jail, to the Court of Appeal following a political backlash over the weekend against the judge’s ruling. Two teenage boys raped two girls in separate attacks in Fordingbridge, Hampshire, in 2024 and 2025. The third boy, who aided and abetted the [...]
Petrol prices hit Iran war high as oil tops $100 again May 26, 2026 Petrol prices in the UK have hit a new high since the Iran war began, as the price of oil jumped back up to $100 per barrel following fresh US strikes. The average price of a litre of petrol is now 159.43p in the UK, according to motoring services firm the RAC. This petrol price [...]
B&Q owner eyes warm weather boost as sales fall May 26, 2026 B&Q’s FTSE 100 owner will be hoping for a heatwave boost after it blamed poor weather for falling sales at the start of the year. Kingfisher, which also owns Screwfix and home improvement retailers in France and Poland, saw total like-for-like sales dip by 0.9 per cent to £3.3bn in the first quarter of the [...]
‘Delighted to be wrong’ – Sam Altman changes tune on AI job apocalypse fears May 26, 2026 OpenAI boss Sam Altman has softened his warnings over AI wiping out white-collar work, saying the feared “jobs apocalypse” has so far failed to materialise despite the tech rapidly reshaping business decisions and operations. Speaking on Tuesday, Altman admitted he had expected AI to eliminate far more entry-level office jobs by now following the launch [...]
London makes up more than a third of UK corporation tax receipts May 26, 2026 London accounts for more than a third of total corporation tax receipts across the UK, new data analysed by Morning Wire has shown. Data shared by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has shown that London makes up around 36 per cent of total corporation tax income generated each year, highlighting the capital city’s dominance [...]
David Lammy rejects higher pay rise for judges amid recruitment crisis May 26, 2026 David Lammy turned down an independent recommendation for a higher judicial pay increase, instead approving a 3.5 per cent rise amid government efforts to tackle recruitment challenges for senior judges. The Senior Salaries Review Body (SSRB) report, published last week, recommended a 3.8 per cent pay increase across the judiciary, estimated to cost taxpayers around [...]
Top City law firm slammed for ‘misleading’ AI letters sent to court May 26, 2026 A well-known London-headquartered law firm has been criticised by a High Court judge after a lawyer sent the court AI-generated letters containing false legal information. A judgment handed down on 22 May found a junior solicitor at Pinsent Masons used AI to draft two “misleading” emails containing so-called hallucinations sent to the High Court [...]
Embassy officials praise Arsenal ahead of ‘Visit Rwanda Champions League final’ May 26, 2026 The High Commission of Rwanda this week congratulated Arsenal on their Premier League title days before a Visit Rwanda partnership concludes at the Champions League final. The Gunners won their first domestic title in 22 years and lifted the Premier League trophy on Sunday. This weekend they have the chance to add a Champions League [...]