‘Stuff of nightmares’: Hold interest rates, Morning Wire Shadow MPC says April 28, 2026 Interest rates should be left unchanged in April but the future path of monetary policy could be unclear, Morning Wire’s Shadow Monetary Policy Committee has suggested. A group of City economists and academics has called for interest rates to be left at 3.75 per cent on Thursday, citing the risk of higher inflation due to [...]
Barclays takes shot at tax speculation as UK growth forecast cut April 28, 2026 Barclays has taken a shot at the wave of tax speculation surrounding the industry as the bank trimmed its growth output for the year ahead. Fears the banking sector might be targeted for a cash grab have gathered pace following the war in Iran, amid concerns over mounting cost pressures. The Middle East conflict is [...]
Howard de Walden Estate splashes £50m on Harley Street property deals April 28, 2026 The Howard de Walden Estate has spent £50m on acquisitions in the Harley Street neighbourhood, Morning Wire can reveal, as it tightens its dominance over the capital’s private health hub. The property company has acquired three long leaseholds in Harley Street and Wimpole Street, with a combined 50,000 sq ft footprint, featuring a blend of [...]
BP reports highest profits since 2023 off the back of Iran war April 28, 2026 Oil and gas giant BP has reported its highest quarterly profit since 2023 in its latest trading update, as the group capitalised on rising oil prices sparked by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. In its first results since the war in Iran broke out in February, BP reported a surge in profits to [...]
Reeves rent freeze proposal dubbed ‘disaster’ for renters and landlords April 28, 2026 Rachel Reeves has fuelled rumours she is considering a rent freeze as leading economists said the policy would be a “disaster” for renters and landlords. Addressing the Commons on Tuesday afternoon, the Chancellor was asked by a Labour MP to implement a freeze on private rents. “I will do everything in my power and use [...]
Barclays shares slide as sour loan provisions balloon to £823m April 28, 2026 Barclays made a mammoth reservation for bad loans in the first quarter led by the hostilities in the global market and a single name charge in its investment banking division. The blue-chip lender set aside £823m for potential loan losses, up from £643m in the same period last year, in a stark sign the firm [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Stocks dip as oil edges higher; BP posts profit boom April 28, 2026 Good morning and welcome back to the Morning Wire liveblog. Oil returned to a three-week high comfortably over the $105 mark on Monday and those gains look set to continue today. Brent crude – the international benchmark for oil prices – edged over $110 on Tuesday morning as it once again appeared peace talks in [...]
Global infrastructure spending to surpass $150 trillion by 2050 April 28, 2026 Global infrastructure spending is projected to surpass $150 trillion through 2050, as countries look to modernise systems to meet growing AI and electrification demands. Annual global infrastructure spending is forecast to climb from $4.4 trillion (£3.2 trillion) in 2024 to $6.9 trillion in 2050, ultimately driving investment of $151.1 trillion, according to the latest findings [...]
King’s Cross puts London on the AI map April 28, 2026 A description of King’s Cross a little over 20 years ago sounds like something from a Dickens novel. It was “a place of decay, dereliction, crime and filth” – known for drugs and prostitution. Some readers may remember its rave scene but for most people it was a no-go area. That opening description comes from [...]
Labour peer tells Reeves not to use headroom as ‘piggy bank’ for spending April 28, 2026 A Labour peer has urged Chancellor Rachel Reeves to avoid using her larger fiscal headroom as a “piggy bank” to fund extra government spending increases. A report by senior House of Lords members said the Chancellor should add further protections to public finances, leaping to the defence of the Office for Budget Responsibility for improving [...]