Labour turmoil and Iran war brings ‘reversal of fortunes’ for UK economy June 3, 2026 A combination of feverish political speculation and knock on effects from the war in Iran has culminated in a “reversal of fortunes” for the UK economy, as new data suggests activity across the private sector declined in May. S&P Global’s monthly survey of hundreds of firms has shown that business across services companies declined in [...]
Number of private school pupils plummets after Labour’s VAT hike on fees June 3, 2026 Private school pupil numbers have plummeted by 30,000, down nearly 7 per cent in some year groups, since Labour introduced VAT on fees. As of 1 January 2025, private school fees in the UK, including tuition and boarding, are subject to 20 per cent VAT, a change announced by Chancellor Rachel Reeves in her 2024 [...]
OECD: Growth to remain below one per cent as UK economy struggles with unemployment June 3, 2026 What little growth the UK economy will experience this year will be fuelled by high government expenditure, according to the world’s top independent economic organisation. The OECD, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development for long, said public expenditure would “support the economy” even as consumer spending and business investment is set to weaken. The [...]
This is why the City’s fintech IPO boom hasn’t happened yet June 3, 2026 Hopes remain high for a flurry of fintech listings, in this week’s column Samuel Norman takes a look at whether this could come to fruition and what could be holding it up. City officials have pinned a hefty portion of their hopes for a London Stock Market revival on the nation’s fintech stars. Rachel Reeves [...]
Andrew Bailey warns on AI: ‘Everybody is currently priced to be a winner’ June 2, 2026 Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey has suggested that the UK’s growth hopes hinge on productivity gains from a mass AI technology roll-out although he warned that investment levels carried “substantial risks” for market prices. Bailey, who is also the head of the Financial Stability Board, an international body overseeing markets, echoed deputy governor Sarah [...]
Reeves warned Iran war oil shock will lead to government borrowing spike June 2, 2026 Chancellor Rachel Reeves has been warned that government borrowing is set to spike as a result of the Iran war as the Office for Budget Responsibility admitted it had underestimated the effects of the last energy price shock. In a review of its forecasting models, the OBR suggested it had learned lessons from Russia’s full-scale [...]
As it happened: Stocks shrug off stalling Iran peace talks; OBR warns Reeves June 2, 2026 Good morning and welcome back to the Morning Wire liveblog. Markets were rocked yesterday after reports emerged from Iranian state media that Tehran was pulling out of peace talks with the US. A proposal that included a 60-day cessation of violence and a play to re-open the Strait of Hormuz has hung in the balance [...]
Replace Reeves if Starmer goes, voters tell Labour June 2, 2026 Rachel Reeves should be replaced as Chancellor if Sir Keir Starmer is ousted in a Labour leadership contest, the majority of voters believe. Reeves’ team had told newspapers that she should stay on in order to maintain some stability if Starmer were defeated by Wes Streeting, Andy Burnham or another Labour leader contender in a [...]
Mandelson Files add insult to injury, but the patient was already beyond saving June 2, 2026 The deluge of emails, Whatsapp messages and hand-written notes released yesterday cover the full range of political and diplomatic life, from the absurd to the poignant; from rows over a gift for Donald Trump to soul-searching over Keir Starmer’s failures, it’s all there in black and white. What’s clear at a glance is quite how [...]
As it happened: FTSE 100 plunges as Iran pulls out of US peace talks; Mandelson files released June 1, 2026 Good morning and welcome back to the Morning Wire liveblog. Oil has nudged a touch higher to $93 per barrel this morning as uncertainty continues to cloud any prospect of a peace deal in the Middle East. The latest peace proposal between the US and Iran was said last week to be awaiting on the [...]