The UK founder exodus is not just about tax – it’s about tone March 23, 2026 Minus tax, the UK still has the fundamentals to nurture entrepreneurs, but it's presenting itself as a wimpish place to work, writes Sean Bannister.
The UK is being “dragged into” Iran war says Badenoch March 21, 2026 Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has said the UK is being “dragged into” the Iran war “whether we like it or not” after the nation fired missiles at joint UK-US base. Badenoch argued Starmer can longer “sit on the fence” after the attempted strikes on Saturday morning, before criticising him for not backing the US to [...]
Hargreaves Lansdown services resume after technical glitch March 21, 2026 The UK’s largest DIY investment platform Hargreaves Lansdown has confirmed clients can once more access their accounts after a technical problem on Friday brought operations to a standstill. The platform reported that it was “no longer seeing” the earlier technical issues in a statement on Friday evening, with customers once more able to make transactions. [...]
Starmer to convene emergency meeting over Iran war price shock March 21, 2026 Prime Minister Keir Starmer will convene an emergency meeting of senior cabinet ministers and the governor of the Bank of England next week, as prices continue to soar amid the Middle East conflict. The meeting will discuss plans to help households with the rising cost of living caused by the war in Iran, according to [...]
UK economy in peril as growth forecast slashed in half March 20, 2026 The UK economy is set to grow by half as much as economists predicted before the war in Iran started as forecasters attempt to make sense of how deep the impact of an energy price shock will be. A leading economics consultancy has revised its UK growth forecast down to 0.4 per cent compared to [...]
Borrowing costs soar to post-financial crisis high in blow to Reeves March 20, 2026 UK government borrowing costs have soared to their highest level since the Great Financial Crisis in 2008, with markets frightened by the state of public finances in the face of another global price shock. Gilt yields have inched up over the course of the week, with the ten-year gilt yield topping 4.9 per cent on [...]
Bank of England to hike interest rates twice, JP Morgan says March 20, 2026 The Bank of England will hike interest rates at its next meeting in late April, JP Morgan has predicted, presenting a new threat to the security of the UK economy. JP Morgan economist Allan Monks has said that the Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) will opt to raise interest rates at least twice this year. [...]
What makes Rachel Reeves think she should be picking winners? March 20, 2026 Rachel Reeves’ vision for an “active and strategic” state is just old fashioned dirigisme with a new name, says Emmanuel Igwe A few hours before her Mais lecture this week, the chancellor had told Faisal Islam in an interview that she “so believed in an active and strategic state… working with working people to shape the [...]
Reeves hit by spike in government borrowing March 20, 2026 UK government borrowing rose by more than expected in February, it has been revealed, adding a strain on public finances as Chancellor Rachel Reeves faces trouble ahead with deciding the government’s response to the war in Iran. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has said that the government borrowed £14bn, with economists having predicted the [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Gilt yields soar, Bank of England rate hike fears grow, Wetherspoon shares tumble March 20, 2026 Good morning from the Morning Wire liveblog team. Stocks made gains on Friday morning after a statement from Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu that he could see “this war ending a lot faster than people think” reassured markets that conflict in the Middle East could soon recede. The remarks follow further missile strikes by the US [...]