‘Watershed moment’: EV sales soar as oil price volatility drives away petrol car demand June 10, 2026 Brits are racing to get their hands on electric vehicles after a surge in oil prices triggered by the war in Iran has driven away demand for petrol and diesel cars, one of the UK’s biggest used car supermarkets has said. London-listed Motorpoint, which has seen its shares jump on the back of bumper profits, [...]
Boots eyes £7.5bn sale in blow to hopes of London IPO June 10, 2026 The owners of Boots are weighing up a £7.5bn sale which would dash hopes of a London listing and deal another blow to the UK’s stock exchange. Sycamore Partners, the private equity firm which bought Boots’ parent company for $23.7bn last year, has been in talks with a number of suitors since before Easter. The [...]
As it happened: FTSE 100 see-saws amid global jitters as market outlook turns ‘risky and dangerous’ June 10, 2026 Good morning and welcome back to the Morning Wire liveblog. Markets were not getting too excited at the beginning of this week when Donald Trump said a peace deal with Iran was “very close”. And last night’s exchange of strikes might explain why. The US has said it completed a series of strikes against Iran [...]
‘We do not accept the FCA’s characterisation’: Neil Woodford firm responds to watchdog June 9, 2026 Former star fund manager Neil Woodford’s comeback venture has hit back at the UK financial watchdog, arguing it ‘does not accept’ the regulator’s characterisation of the business after the FCA launched civil proceedings. W Four Point Zero FZE, which trades as W4.0 and is registered in the United Arab Emirates, rebuffed the Financial Conduct Authority’s [...]
Banks ‘not ready’ for motor finance scheme, says City watchdog June 9, 2026 The City watchdog has warned that motor finance lenders are “not as ready as we would expect” for the introduction of its long-awaited redress scheme. Nikhil Rathi, chief executive of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), has written to the Treasury Committee following inquiries around the legal challenges to its car mis-selling scheme. The regulator published [...]
Tate & Lyle becomes latest market stalwart to quit London June 9, 2026 Tate & Lyle on Monday became the latest City stalwart to head for the door. Felix Armstrong recounts the accelerating exodus from London’s stock market As the summer holidays beckon, stalwarts of the London Stock Exchange are packing their bags ahead of a potential departure to warmer climes. FTSE grandee Tate & Lyle became the [...]
London Stock Exchange boss accuses FCA of ‘playing fast and loose’ as she warns government may have to ‘step in’ June 8, 2026 The boss of the London Stock Exchange has taken aim at the financial watchdog over its plans to introduce greater market transparency in signs of a major fallout between the two City institutions. Julia Hoggett, chief executive of the exchange, has accused the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) of “playing fast and loose” with the market, [...]
‘We’ve got lots of things going for us America doesn’t’: Sadiq Khan on competing with Silicon Valley June 8, 2026 Sadiq Khan has claimed that shifting political dynamics in the US are actively driving tech talent and venture capital to the UK, arguing that London possesses structural and cultural advantages that “America doesn’t” as he seeks to position the capital against Silicon Valley. The Mayor of London announced a new £12m investment programme on Monday [...]
Starmer: Britain must ‘not stick its head in the sand’ on AI June 8, 2026 Sir Keir Starmer has said Britain must not “stick its head in the sand” on artificial intelligence, with the technology set to fundamentally reshape the UK economy. The Prime Minister used his speech at London Tech Week to unveil a major sovereign computing push, new AI skills programmes and a vision for keeping Britain’s fastest-growing [...]
Labour bets £1.1bn on Britain’s AI chip race June 8, 2026 Keir Starmer’s government has unveiled a £1.1bn package aimed at turning Britain into a global AI hardware powerhouse, with ministers backing domestic chipmakers and pouring capital into training the next generation of engineers. The new AI Hardware Plan, announced at London Tech Week by tech secretary Liz Kendall, includes £750m for a new national AI [...]