Burnham backs plan to pump £1bn pension funds into start-ups July 27, 2026 Andy Burnham’s government is set to spearhead a new £1bn fund that will channel cash from some of the country’s biggest pension schemes into start-ups. Pension funds including Nest, the workplace scheme set up by the government, Railpen, Border to Coast and the Local Pensions Partnership Investments (LPPI) are set to back the new government-led [...]
Fifa boss Infantino: World Cup critics are ‘consumed with hate’ July 27, 2026 Fifa president Gianni Infantino has launched a broadside at critics of some aspects of the 2026 World Cup, branding them “consumed by hate”. The tournament, which concluded eight days ago, has been broadly hailed as a success but was punctuated by outrage at President Trump’s apparent intervention in the Folarin Balogun incident, sky-high ticket prices [...]
Burnham vows to ‘get serious’ about slashing welfare bill July 27, 2026 Andy Burnham has vowed that he will “get serious” about slashing the welfare bill, as the Prime Minister hunts savings to boost defence spending. “We’ve got to get really serious as a country [about] getting the welfare bill down,” Burnham told the BBC in his first full interview since becoming Prime Minister last week. He [...]
As it happened: Stocks rise; oil falls after Trump pauses Iran strikes July 27, 2026 Welcome back to the Morning Wire FTSE 100 liveblog. It’s Monday and the FTSE 100 has made a positive start to the week, gaining more than 70 points on the market open after oil prices began to fall from last week’s two-month highs. Brent crude, the international benchmark for oil prices, slipped to $90.58 in early trading [...]
Big Four’s AIM exodus accelerates as mid-tier firms seize mandates July 27, 2026 Mid-tier audit firms scooped up new clients as the Big Four giants executed an intentional retreat from London’s junior market. Three years ago, PwC, Deloitte, EY, and KPMG audited nearly half of the FTSE Alternative Investment Market (AIM) 100 index with 49 clients combined. But today, the market share has collapsed to 30 clients, according [...]
Scotland’s tax hike may have backfired as receipt falls July 26, 2026 The Scottish government’s decision to raise the top rate of income tax may have backfired, according to analysis by the lawyer Dan Neidle. Neidle’s research on tax data suggested that a decision to increase the top income tax rate to 48 per cent led to lower receipts. HMRC data from 2024-25 suggested that the Scottish [...]
Bank of England to hold interest rates as oil price surge threatens UK economy July 26, 2026 The Bank of England is expected to hold interest rates in a split vote on Thursday yet a surge in oil prices could complicate the crucial decision. The Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee is widely expected to leave interest rates unchanged at 3.75 per cent. Analysts believe that two members, Huw Pill and Megan Greene, could [...]
Burnham ‘aware’ of Healey’s extra £9bn spending demands July 26, 2026 Andy Burnham has said he was “very aware” of John Healey’s demand to spend at least £9bn more a year on defence when he appointed him as Chancellor. The Prime Minister has said he would ensure Sir Keir Starmer’s Defence Investment Plan (Dip) was “fully funded” in an interview with the BBC as his “first [...]
Inside the untapped commercial potential of the Tour de France July 26, 2026 The Tour de France is the most attended annual sporting event with over 12m people attending roadside every year for the historic three-week race. Its UK audience is growing too, with the 2026 broadcast attaining 41 per cent more viewers than the previous year. Despite that scale, many brands still underestimate the breadth of commercial [...]
Exclusive: Saudi ship struck by Houthis had insurance from Lloyd’s insurance giant July 25, 2026 Insurance giant Gallagher had insured one of two ships that were attacked by the Houthis in the Red Sea, which caused a fire to break out on board and made the ship return to port. The Lloyd’s of London broker had organised cover for the affected vessel, which was one of a pair of tankers [...]