Pound to suffer ‘until May’ amid Starmer leadership troubles January 9, 2026 Sterling will suffer from speculation over Keir Starmer’s leadership until at least the May elections, economists have predicted, with 2026 tipped to become another year where Westminster infighting sparks City jitters. Analysts at Investec have suggested that the further strengthening of the pound will be held back by continued questions over Starmer’s authority across the [...]
Pension schemes to go under the spotlight in a bid to end poor value January 8, 2026 UK pension schemes could find themselves thrust under the spotlight, as industry bodies look to get savers better offers and quality of service. Schemes will need to publish clear data on their performance, costs and quality of services under proposals brought forward by bodies including the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and The Pensions Regulator (TPR). [...]
Rates row shows how little Labour understands business January 8, 2026 Whether it’s your after work favourite or your home local – whether you drink or not – everyone has a favourite pub. But the sector is facing a crisis – and we know whose fault it is. We also know the challenges facing British pubs reflect a bigger problem in the relationship between this government [...]
It’s time for Starmer to choose: is he a lawyer or a leader? January 8, 2026 The international, rules-and-rights-based order is crumbling in the face of Trump’s brute force. This leaves career human rights lawyer Keir Starmer in an interesting position… A Venezuelan friend once showed me a small purse made out of folded and woven 100,000 Bolivar notes. These would be sold to tourists for a few dollars as their [...]
Peter Mandelson handed back £1.3m from consulting firm he founded January 8, 2026 A consulting firm founded by Peter Mandelson handed back £1.3m to the House of Lords peer prior to his departure from the business, the firm’s latest accounts reveal. Global Counsel, a London-based public policy consultancy launched by Mandelson in 2016, had been lent £1m by the disgraced politician with interest paid “at commercial rates,” white [...]
Badenoch accuses Starmer of lying as Abramovich row erupts January 8, 2026 Kemi Badenoch has accused Keir Starmer of lying about her shadow attorney general Lord Wolfson amid a furious row about funds in Roman Abramovich’s frozen bank account designated for Ukraine. Starmer took aim at Lord Wolfson, who has recused himself from offering the Tory leader advice on Ukraine and Russia due to his own legal [...]
Labour MP Callum Anderson: Securing Starmer’s visit to London Stock Exchange took months January 8, 2026 We dig into the memory bank of the City's great and good. Today, it's Labour MP and former London Stock Exchange adviser Callum Anderson.
Starmer summons business chiefs to join China trip January 7, 2026 Downing Street officials are asking business leaders to join Keir Starmer on a visit to China later this month, it has been reported, amid tensions over the approval of its mega embassy near Canada. The government is still looking to gather new business representatives to accompany Starmer to Beijing despite some concerns [...]
Construction marks full year of decline in blow to Labour January 7, 2026 The construction sector has now marked one full year of a decline in output, according to a leading survey, blowing a hole in Labour’s ambitious housebuilding targets. S&P Global’s monthly survey showed the sector had fallen under a threshold for neutrality in output for the twelfth successive month. The reading for December was also the [...]
London Luton Airport says investment at risk due to Labour’s taxes January 7, 2026 A £2.5bn proposal to expand one of London’s top airports is facing fresh challenges amid rising tax burdens, as the aviation sector feels the pain of Rachel Reeves’ business rates raid. The owner of Luton Airport, Labour-run Luton Council, had put together plans to build a new terminal and increase capacity from 18m to 32m [...]