Ben Stokes bombshell shows how power has swung to sport’s players and coaches July 2, 2026 Social media has allowed the likes of Ben Stokes to control their own narrative but we are no nearer to knowing the truth, says Ed Warner. Truth is a pliable concept, capable of being moulded to suit the interests of the individual, and a battleground for competing narratives. Perspective is not all; volume and reach [...]
Burnham tax plans spark investor rush to bank capital gains July 2, 2026 Entrepreneurs and savers are rushing to bring forward the sale of their businesses or take profit on investments in anticipation of Andy Burnham’s rumoured plans to fund his ambitious devolution agenda by equalising capital gains tax with income tax. Tax and financial advisers reported a sharp uptick in client enquiries on the likely Prime Minister’s [...]
Stockpiling helps manufacturing sector power through Iran war blows July 1, 2026 The manufacturing sector has powered through the turmoil brought by the Iran war as output grew at the fastest pace in 21 months, according to a business survey. S&P Global researchers said that output growth accelerated as firms rushed to stockpile goods ahead of further expected trade turmoil in the Middle East. The overall purchasing [...]
Why Hugh Grant is the last person Burnham should listen to on press freedom July 1, 2026 Hugh Grant hopes his long-running campaign to censor newspapers will find a receptive audience in Andy Burnham’s Downing St. Now is no time undermine free speech, says Joseph Dinnage A lifelong Leftie, big in the 1990s, Oxbridge educated, and a famous on-screen Prime Minister: it’s no surprise that Hugh Grant is friendly with Andy Burnham. [...]
Steve Rigby: Burnham has a chance bring confidence back to British business July 1, 2026 If Andy Burnham focuses on AI, devolution and regional development, he has a chance to turn British stagnation around – and his record in Manchester is cause for cautious optimism, says Steve Rigby The transition to our seventh prime minister in a decade is now well underway. Since 1721, we have had only 58 Prime [...]
Exclusive: Reynolds never met Thames Water investors before rejecting rescue deal July 1, 2026 Environment secretary Emma Reynolds never met the investors behind a proposed Thames Water rescue package before slapping down their deal out of hand last month, Morning Wire can reveal. Reynolds, who is the minister responsible for water policy, has left officials in her department to meet representatives of a large creditors’ group, which includes investment [...]
Sainsbury’s boss urges Burnham to cut energy costs and ‘focus on growth’ June 30, 2026 The boss of Sainsbury’s has urged the next prime minister to address rising energy costs as food inflation continues to concern shoppers. The boss of the UK’s second-largest grocer repeated his earlier calls for the Treasury to engage with the food industry to assist with rising costs following the war in the Middle East. His [...]
UK economy’s growth revised down amid first-quarter spurt June 30, 2026 The UK economy grew by 0.6 per cent in the first quarter of the year, the Office for National Statistics has confirmed, yet the final figure for growth last year was revised down slightly. The ONS said on Tuesday that the UK economy grew at a faster pace than many had expected at the beginning [...]
As it happened: Stocks jump on defence and metals boost; Oil on track to shed a fifth on US-Iran peace hopes June 30, 2026 Welcome back to the Morning Wire liveblog. Oil’s speed of decline has taken a hit this week as investors were forced to pause at the renewal of strike action between the US and Iran. Brent crude – the international benchmark for oil prices – was steadying above $73 per barrel, holding onto some of the [...]
Public markets, not the state, can fix the water sector June 30, 2026 Andy Burnham will likely put renationalising utilities back on the table, but that’s not the way to turn on the investment taps, says Rupert Hargreaves The arrival of Andy Burnham in Westminster has once again reignited the debate around the future of the UK’s key infrastructure. The Guardian has reported that Burnham’s allies have talked [...]