Iran conflict sparks worst month of outflows since Autumn Budget April 8, 2026 The Middle Eastern conflict has triggered the worst bout of equity market outflows in months as investors retreated from stocks over fears of soaring inflation and fuel shortages. Equity fund outflows jumped to £1.4bn in March, a jump of 55.3 per cent compared to February, marking March as the worst month since November 2025, when [...]
Construction firms slash jobs after biggest-ever cost inflation rise April 8, 2026 Construction businesses cut jobs at a faster pace in March while the month-to-month inflation rise was the largest on record in a survey that has existed for 29 years. S&P Global said the difference in a reading for cost inflation between February and March was the largest it had ever recorded since data collection began [...]
Fifa World Cup tickets on resale for $11m as costs soar April 8, 2026 Tickets for this year’s Fifa World Cup are being resold for an eye-watering $11m as fans fear taking out second mortgages to get to North America. The category four ticket at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami would give a fan access to Scotland’s showpiece group match against Brazil, but will cost $11m on Fifa’s [...]
The Debate: Should we scrap the ‘table tax’? April 8, 2026 Pavement licenses mean restaurants have to pay to put tables and chairs outside. Is that fair or is it a tax on enterprise?
‘I fired the board that fired me’: TGI Fridays boss on restaurant turnaround April 8, 2026 TGI Fridays had its heyday in the 1980s but slumped into administration last year. Its new boss Ray Blanchette tells Felix Armstrong the nostalgic chain can win back Britain after a period in turmoil. “I land at Heathrow and jump in a cab. The plane got in late,” says Ray Blanchette, recalling the day he [...]
Londonmaxxing could save the capital’s jobs market April 8, 2026 Can Londonmaxxing help revive the capital's flailing job market? Employment expert Kevin Fitzgerald thinks so.
Bank of England: Interest rate hike predictions cool as trader sentiment resets April 8, 2026 Fears of several interest rate hikes being made have eased as traders raved at the news of a ceasefire in the Middle East. Markets are now pricing in just one interest rate hike as the two-year gilt yield dropped to 4.1 per cent. The current interest rate is set at 3.75 per cent by the [...]
‘Make the process look less scary’: UK banking licence applications hit zero in 2025 April 8, 2026 The number of applicants for UK banking licences plummeted to zero in 2025, raising questions over the government and regulators’ capacity to foster competition and attract overseas investment. The fresh figures – revealed in a Freedom of Information request by financial regulation consultancy Pathlight Associates – show a steep fall from the 11 licence bids [...]
National insurance and business rate hikes double fault for Queen’s Club profits April 8, 2026 Business rate hikes and increases to employer national insurance have seen profits at Queen’s Club slump by nearly 20 per cent. Hosts of the HSBC Championships – dubbed the precursor to Wimbledon – saw profits before tax fall by 17.2 per cent to £1.96m, down from £2.37m the previous year, on increased revenues of £15.5m. [...]
British firm Stellanor snaps up data centre amid scramble for AI capacity April 8, 2026 Stellanor Datacenters has expanded its UK footprint with the acquisition of a specialist facility from Imagination Technologies, as demand for AI infrastructure continues to surge. The deal, structured as a ‘sale-and-service-back’ agreement, will see Imagination remain in the Hemel Hempstead site as a customer, while Stellanor takes ownership and integrates the facility into its growing [...]
