London local elections 2026: Who will win in Barking and Dagenham? May 6, 2026 Labour will take the fight to Reform in its defence of Barking and Dagenham as it looks to continue its long-running hold on the borough. In 2022 Barking and Dagenham was painted a unanimous red. All 51 seats in the 232,747 strong borough went to Labour in a clean sweep, though turnout was 24.5 per [...]
Exclusive: OBR calculations suggest Reeves set for borrowing spree May 6, 2026 The Office for Budget Responsibility’s own calculations on the impact of a war in the Middle East suggest that Rachel Reeves is set to oversee a surge in borrowing, Morning Wire has found. Sir Keir Starmer and Reeves have said that the government’s focus on “stability” has added protections to public finances and helped the [...]
A bank tax hangs in the balance at the local election ballot May 6, 2026 As speculation of a leadership challenge – or sweeping reshuffle – surrounds the forthcoming local elections, in this week’s column Samuel Norman looks at what a change in Chancellor would mean for the banking sector. It is no secret that Thursday’s local elections carry a weight far heavier than the fate of a few neighbourhood [...]
London needs a real opposition, not a Labour/Green merry-go-round May 5, 2026 Voting tactically in the local elections just rewards the same old left wing cycle, says Sylbourne Sydial Alys Denby’s Morning Wire article captures something we hear every day on the doorstep: many people in south-east London are tired of Labour and worried about the Greens. In Lewisham, that feeling is not abstract. Labour has dominated [...]
‘Clear risk signal’: Gilt yields hit 28-year high as investors weigh Starmer’s future after local elections May 5, 2026 Gilt yields have risen to their highest rate since 1998 as investors weigh the odds of Keir Starmer being ousted following what is widely expected to be a major defeat for Labour at the local elections. The yield on 30-year government bonds rose 11 basis points on Tuesday to hit 5.76 per cent, topping the [...]
Tax hikes call time on two pubs a day crushing 2,400 jobs May 5, 2026 The government’s bitter round of tax hikes imposed on the hospitality industry is said to have forced the closure of two pubs a day in the first three months of the year in yet another blow to the already bruised sector. Figures from the Beer Bar and Pub Association (BBPA) showed 161 pubs across Britain [...]
Bond market alert: Burnham and Streeting turn up leader rumours May 2, 2026 Bond markets are on alert as fresh reports have suggested that Manchester mayor Andy Burnham and health secretary Wes Streeting are preparing leadership bids. City bank and analysts at the likes of Deutsche Bank and Jefferies have flagged the risks of a change in leadership and the potential for looser fiscal rules. Deutsche Bank’s Sanjay [...]
Pension industry 1-0 Torsten Bell April 30, 2026 We should be grateful that the absurd idea of a government-imposed cap on rent died less than 24 hours after it first reared its head, but another madcap Treasury scheme took far longer to bite the dust. The government’s Pensions Schemes Act (which passed into law yesterday) contained plenty of sensible and interesting measures, including [...]
What to look out for in London’s local elections April 30, 2026 With more parties and more candidates than ever before, next week’s local elections across London are the most unpredictable for a generation, argues James Ford On 7 May, Londoners go to the polls to elect the councillors that will run the capital’s 32 borough councils. More than 1,800 council seats are up for election, alongside [...]
Badenoch claims Reeves will be ousted as traders warn on Labour’s turn to left April 29, 2026 Tory leader Kemi Badenoch has predicted that Rachel Reeves will be sacked as Chancellor after the local elections in May, as top bankers warn of the impact of any left-turn by the government. Badenoch asked Sir Keir Starmer whether he would “reshuffle the Chancellor” after the May elections, with the Prime Minister not directly commenting [...]