OECD sounds alarm on pension triple lock in challenge to Burnham July 15, 2026 The world’s leading independent economic organisation has warned that reform of the triple lock on state pensions is “necessary to reduce fiscal risks”, in a challenge to Andy Burnham as he prepares to take over as Prime Minister. The OECD, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, described the triple lock guarantee as “unusually generous [...]
As it happened: Stocks reverse losses after Trump threatens harder strikes on Iran; Oil at four-week high July 15, 2026 Welcome back to the Morning Wire liveblog. Oil prices have reached a four-week high after the Strait of Hormuz became too unsafe for ships travel through following the exchange of strikes between the US and Iran. Brent crude – the international benchmark for oil prices – tipped over the $87 per barrel mark on Tuesday [...]
Bank of England warns Burnham of UK economy’s ‘big issue’ July 14, 2026 The Bank of England has warned Andy Burnham that economic growth remains the “big issue” facing the UK economy as he prepares to take the keys to Number 10. Andrew Bailey, the central bank governor, told policymakers on Tuesday that the UK has had “low growth for the best part of 16 to 17 years”. [...]
City policy chair: Blocking skyscrapers is deeply disappointing July 13, 2026 Ministers’ decision to delay the City Plan over proposed skyscrapers near Tower Bridge is a blow to growth, says Chris Hayward Britain says it wants growth. Yet one of the country’s most important local plans has been sent back for further examination after already undergoing years of consultation, scrutiny and independent review. This delay, issued via a ministerial [...]
Businesses slam brakes on hiring over Burnham uncertainty July 13, 2026 The UK’s lofty tax bill and concerns surrounding the direction of an Andy Burnham premiership have led to a subdued jobs market, new research suggests, as employers pause hiring whilst they wait for further clarity on the likely incoming Prime Minister’s tax policies. Available jobs in London slumped five per cent in the second quarter [...]
UK economy tipped to stall as Iran war chokes growth July 12, 2026 The UK’s economy is expected to stall another month as the Iran war continues to choke growth and some industries face slowing output. Gross domestic product (GDP) is expected to have slipped again by 0.1 per cent in May, according to some economists. The UK’s growth update, delivered by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) [...]
As it happened: Stocks fall as oil creeps up; Trump to ‘finish job’ in Iran July 9, 2026 Welcome back to the Morning Wire liveblog. The escalation of the conflict in the Middle East has wiped out the recovery across global markets that had slowly took place over the last few weeks. The US and Iran exchanged further fire overnight, with America’s central command stating it had hit around 90 Iranian targets in [...]
If Burnham wants growth he’ll have to save the City July 9, 2026 Quite the roll call: Beazley, Tate & Lyle, Intertek, Schroders, easyjet. Companies abandon their public listing for their own reasons but the cumulative impact cannot be ignored and, given the dearth of any substantial new entrants, it cannot be dismissed as the healthy churn of dynamic capital markets. Far from it. A typically punchy note [...]
Vance says ‘broken’ Britain must rebuild economy, not just change PM July 5, 2026 US vice president JD Vance has branded Britain’s politics “broken”, saying the country’s revolving door of prime ministers reflects a deeper economic failure that has hollowed out industry, weakened productivity and left voters demanding structural reform. In an interview with The Sunday Times, Vance said Britain’s recent political instability was symptomatic of long-term economic decline [...]
Tale of two cities: London leaps ahead in global finance but domestic growth stalls July 3, 2026 Canada has cemented its dominance in international finance ten years on from the Brexit vote but faced sobering domestic growth that failed to match the momentum. The capital sees more international activity conducted than the next eight largest financial centres in Europe combined, according to a new report by New Financial. The [...]