As it happened: FTSE 100 slump as oil soars; Trump says Iran will be ‘hit hard’ tonight July 8, 2026 Welcome back to the Morning Wire liveblog. Global markets are strapping in for a return to risk-aversion after the US and Iran traded strikes overnight following the breakdown of a peace deal in the Middle East. The US kicked off its “series of powerful strikes” late Monday night. The nation’s Central Command said the attacks [...]
London is Open for Business – But Only If We Get Planning Right July 8, 2026 Nearly seven years ago, Central London Alliance was founded on a simple premise: London needed to fight for its own recovery. At the time, Tony Matharu assumed it might take eight months. It has taken considerably longer – and the fight is not over. In the latest episode of London Talking, Tony sits down with [...]
Voters expect Burnham to hike taxes July 8, 2026 Taxes will rise to even higher levels under Andy Burnham’s government as the likely-incoming Prime Minister ramps up spending on council housing and public services, voters have predicted. Morning Wire/Freshwater polling has shown that more than half of voters expect taxes to increase under Burnham’s government regardless of which Labour figure takes over from Rachel [...]
‘If you find yourself stuck in politics, the thing to do is start a fight’ July 8, 2026 In the great work of historical fiction, Imperium, Robert Harris imagines the Roman statesman Cicero observing that “if you find yourself stuck in politics, the thing to do is start a fight.” Clacton may be a far cry from the ancient senate in Rome, but Nigel Farage has followed the playbook. Facing a parliamentary standards [...]
Finally, a regulator is ahead of the curve on AI July 8, 2026 More and more Brits are investing thanks to AI, so the FCA's proposal to embrace that makes complete sense, writes Carl Hazeley.
Frying squad: England’s World Cup bid fuelled by cooking oil and leftover food July 8, 2026 England’s World Cup campaign in the USA, Mexico and Canada is being powered by used cooking oil, leftover food and algae. The decision to maintain a World Cup training base in Kansas City has meant England are racking up the air miles for matches. A 2,800-mile round trip to Mexico City for Sunday night’s last-16 [...]
The City should hire on character again July 8, 2026 In an AI world, character has never been more important. Employers and jobseekers should bring it to the forefront, writes Georgiana Bristol.
The Debate: Should Britain set up a No 10 North? July 8, 2026 Is Andy Burnham's vision for a Number 10 North visionary or gimmicky? We hear both sides in this week's Debate.
How the boss of Zilch became UK fintech’s power broker July 8, 2026 Last year, Zilch founder Philip Belamant sat down with then-boss of Monzo, TS Anil. As the two friends caught up, Belamant was fizzing with ideas to turn his $2bn British fintech into a global powerhouse, according to sources familiar with the matter. Not long ago, Zilch had set up shop across the pond, and Belamant [...]
Deloitte warns of ‘challenges ahead’ for European football despite €40bn milestone July 8, 2026 Deloitte has forecast “challenges ahead” for European football clubs despite collective revenues surpassing the €40bn (£34bn) mark for the first time. Expansion of the Champions League and Uefa’s other club competitions was the key driver as aggregate revenues grew 13 per cent year on year in the 2024-25 season, Deloitte said. Teams also benefited from [...]