As it happened: Choppy day for FTSE 100 after Iran closes Strait of Hormuz as strikes ramp up July 13, 2026 Welcome back to the Morning Wire liveblog. Markets are returning from the weekend to face another geopolitical shock after Iran confirmed it had closed the Strait of Hormuz once more. The narrow waterway that connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea had slowly seen a pick up in traffic [...]
Europe has made a ‘major mistake’ on slow electrification, IEA chief warns July 11, 2026 The head of the International Energy Agency has warned Europe made a “major mistake” by failing to end its economy reliance on imported fossil fuels quickly enough since the 2022 energy crunch. Fatih Birol said Europe’s low electrification rate, electricity’s share of the energy consumed in the EU, of roughly 23 per cent is holding [...]
Sadiq Khan lobbies Burnham to appoint Miliband as Chancellor July 11, 2026 London mayor Sadiq Khan has weighed into the debate over who should be the next chancellor, lobbying Andy Burnham to select Ed Miliband for the job. In a private discussion with Burnham, Khan argued that Miliband had both the political skills and economic expertise to deliver Burnham’s agenda, including devolving powers to city regions, people [...]
The devastating prognosis for the UK’s public finances July 11, 2026 While much of the media obsesses over Nigel Farage’s fight with a man dressed as a bin, I have something more sobering to discuss as we kick off the weekend. The Office for Budget Responsibility’s report into fiscal risks and sustainability, published this week, is comfortably the most alarming yet. This is an annual review [...]
Rachel Reeves’ legacy of tinkering with the City is not enough, says Mel Stride July 9, 2026 Sir Mel Stride has branded Rachel Reeves’ legacy in government as mere “tinkering” with City reform as the top Tory predicted her successor will create a “hostile” environment for the banking sector. In an interview with Morning Wire, the shadow Chancellor branded Reeves’ two-years in the Treasury as “managerial incrementalism,” adding it was “not enough”. [...]
Burnham’s cheerfulness could turn the economy around July 9, 2026 Confidence is an elusive but essential determinant of the course of the economy ignored by Reeves' doomsterism. Burnham could change that.
As it happened: Stocks fall as oil creeps up; Trump to ‘finish job’ in Iran July 9, 2026 Welcome back to the Morning Wire liveblog. The escalation of the conflict in the Middle East has wiped out the recovery across global markets that had slowly took place over the last few weeks. The US and Iran exchanged further fire overnight, with America’s central command stating it had hit around 90 Iranian targets in [...]
If Burnham wants growth he’ll have to save the City July 9, 2026 Quite the roll call: Beazley, Tate & Lyle, Intertek, Schroders, easyjet. Companies abandon their public listing for their own reasons but the cumulative impact cannot be ignored and, given the dearth of any substantial new entrants, it cannot be dismissed as the healthy churn of dynamic capital markets. Far from it. A typically punchy note [...]
‘Moment of jeopardy’: City leaders issue rallying cry to safeguard London’s future as top financial hub July 9, 2026 London stands at a “moment of jeopardy”, top business leaders have warned, as they issued a rallying cry to secure the Square Mile’s future as a top global financial hub. The City bigwigs, including Soc Gen UK chief executive Thierry d’Argent, London Metal Exchange boss Matthew Chamberlain and former City minister Bim Afolami, have called [...]
Exclusive: Government to reject Reform’s offer to cover Farage by-election cost July 8, 2026 The government is set to reject Reform UK’s offer to cover the cost of the upcoming Clacton by-election to be contested by Nigel Farage, Morning Wire understands, in a move that could leave the taxpayer facing a bill of more than £200,000. After Nigel Farage announced he would stand again for election in Clacton to [...]