Burnham’s cheerfulness could turn the economy around July 9, 2026 Confidence is an elusive but essential determinant of the course of the economy ignored by Reeves' doomsterism. Burnham could change that.
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 [...]
‘One-two punch’ – Families face huge capital gains death tax under Burnham July 9, 2026 Bereaved families could face a huge tax bill under an Andy Burnham premiership if the likely next Prime Minister presses ahead with a policy to hike capital gains tax on assets of the deceased. Supporters of Burnham, including the former health secretary Wes Streeting and ex-transport minister Louise Haigh, have said previously they believe wealth [...]
Investor visa proposed by Labour-aligned think tank July 9, 2026 Investor visas should be offered to 100 applicants each year, who would offer £3m in an upfront cash injection in return for residency rights in the UK, a think tank favoured by Labour has said. The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR), which has had a number of policy recommendations adopted by Labour, said the [...]
Exclusive: Government to reject Reform’s offer to cover Farage by-election cost July 8, 2026 The government is set to reject Reform UK’s offer to cover the cost of the upcoming Clacton by-election to be contested by Nigel Farage, Morning Wire understands, in a move that could leave the taxpayer facing a bill of more than £200,000. After Nigel Farage announced he would stand again for election in Clacton to [...]
IMF offers UK modest growth upgrade despite fresh Iran war tension July 8, 2026 The UK economy is set to grow just one per cent this year, according to the The International Monetary Fund (IMF), following a modest revision from its previous gloomy prediction. The IMF said the consequences Iran war, which has led to continued disruptions across the economically-critical Strait of Hormuz, would soften momentum across the UK [...]
Top Tory slams ‘ivory tower’ financial regulators as takeover bids blight London Stock Exchange July 8, 2026 The shadow business secretary has hit out at “ivory tower financial regulators”, accusing them of failing to spend enough time dealing with the problems facing London’s capital markets and hampering UK competitiveness. Conservative MP Andrew Griffith blamed watchdogs like the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) for the state of the London Stock Exchange, which was blighted [...]
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 [...]
London workers most exposed to AI jobs cull July 7, 2026 Workers in London are more exposed to an artificial intelligence-induced jobs cull than in any other major city, according to the world’s leading economics think tank, while growth in hiring for AI talent has been lower than in the EU, Canada and the US. A new OECD report from the Paris-based Organisation for Economic Co-operation [...]
Pension pressure to help swell UK debt to three times size of economy July 7, 2026 The growing cost of pensions is set to help swell UK public debt to three times the size of the economy and will place ‘unsustainable’ pressure on the public finances, the budget watchdog has warned, days after Andy Burnham pledged to retain the expensive triple lock after taking power. In its annual report on the [...]