London mayor gives green light for pedestrianised Oxford Street February 26, 2026 Sadiq Khan has signed off proposals to pedestrianise Oxford Street, ordering London’s transport authority to begin plans to remove traffic in a major shake-up the nation’s most popular shopping area. The London Mayor gave his approval to the plans on Thursday, claiming the “bold” proposal will transform the high street into a “world-leading” shopping and [...]
Britons grumble about hospitals despite Labour’s NHS drive February 26, 2026 Britons remain frustrated with the state of hospitals despite the Labour government’s push to splash out on the NHS, a new report has suggested. Polling by Ipsos for Deloitte and Re:State, a think tank focused on state capabilities, found that 42 per cent of Britons were dissatisfied with hospitals across the country. Under a third [...]
LaLiga boss Tebas reignites war with Paris Saint-Germain chief Al-Khelaifi February 26, 2026 LaLiga president Javier Tebas has reignited his war of words with Paris Saint-Germain chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi by blaming him for the financial problems in French football. Tebas and Al-Khelaifi have clashed repeatedly in the past, most notably when PSG signed Neymar from Barcelona against the wishes of the Spanish club and its league in 2017. [...]
Vanquis boss defends scrapping dividend as bank swings to profit February 26, 2026 The boss of Vanquis Bank has said he makes no apologies for a “conservative” approach to capital distribution as he launched a staunch defence of the group’s decision to axe its dividend for the second consecutive year. Ian McLaughlin, who took the helm at Vanquis in August 2023, said the bank’s “number one priority” was [...]
Hong Kong exchange reports record profits as listings rocket February 26, 2026 Hong Kong’s stock exchange operator has posted a second consecutive year of record profits, after the city became one of the top listing destinations globally, following a slump. Net profit rose 36 per cent to HK$17.8bn (£1.7bn) in 2025, Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing confirmed. Core business revenues, which include fees from trading and clearing [...]
Watch: Spotlight turns on Reeves – and the state of our economy February 26, 2026 We haven’t heard much from Rachel Reeves so far this year – probably a deliberate strategy – but is the Chancellor set to make waves next week at the Spring Statement? Rachel Reeves didn’t have a great 2025. UK quarterly GDP growth peaked in Q1 at 0.7 per cent as firms front-loaded their activity to [...]
Brits push down house prices to dodge mansion tax February 26, 2026 House sellers are already pushing sale values below £2m in a bid to avoid the coming “mansion tax” on expensive homes. The high-value council tax surcharge (HVCTS) is not due to be implemented until April 2028 but estate agents Hamptons have found Brits are already taking steps to avoid the levy. The “mansion tax” charge [...]
WPP shares plunge after turnaround plan targets £500m of savings February 26, 2026 WPP has promised to make £500m of cost savings by the end of 2028 as part of a root-and-branch turnaround plan after suffering a halving of profit. The FTSE 250 firm’s new boss Cindy Rose told reporters she had already “identified multiple initiatives” to deliver on its ambitious savings commitment to help turn around a [...]
VC boss Anu Adebajo: I was told to temper my ambition. I’m glad I didn’t listen February 26, 2026 We dig into the memory bank of the City's great and good. Today, Anu Adebajo, CEO of Newton Venture Program, takes us through her VC career.
Exclusive: Times Radio in discussions for Boat Race radio rights February 26, 2026 Times Radio is in advanced discussions with the Boat Race over the exclusive radio rights for the annual Oxbridge regatta on the Thames, Morning Wire understands. The race’s TV broadcast is already switching from the BBC to Channel 4 and organisers are now closing in on a move to commercial radio for the first time [...]