Lloyd’s and Chubb unlock $400m to jumpstart Strait of Hormuz shipping June 19, 2026 The world’s largest insurance marketplace is set to break the Strait of Hormuz logjam with a new $400m (£316m) war-risk facility. Lloyd’s of London has launched a new market consortium designed to provide additional marine war risk insurance capacity for vessels and cargo transiting the Strait of Hormuz. Insurer Chubb will serve as lead underwriter, [...]
Paris Saint-Germain’s Champions League final shirts smash records in auction June 19, 2026 Paris Saint-Germain have another title to add to their collection after successfully defending the Champions League: the undisputed hottest property for collectors of match worn shirts and other sports memorabilia. Some of the signed PSG jerseys worn by star players in their Champions League final win over Arsenal last month went under the hammer on [...]
PwC UK chief swipes global role in international shake-up June 19, 2026 The UK boss of PwC has been appointed to head up a larger role in the Big Four firm’s global network as the consultancy looks to centralise decision-making and reshape its international executive structure. Marco Amitrano will take up the new position on 1 July in addition to his current post leading the professional services [...]
Burnham turns to ex-OBR and Bank of England chiefs on economic policy June 19, 2026 Andy Burnham has turned to a crop of heavyweight economic advisers, including a former Bank of England economist and the ex-head of the Office for Budget Responsibility, in a bid to bolster his economic credentials ahead of a potential Labour leadership challenge, it has been reported. The new MP for Makerfield has sought advice from [...]
Retail sales jump as third-warmest May on record sends Brits to the high street June 19, 2026 UK retail sales climbed in May, as consumers flocked back to the high street amid the heatwave and showed sustained demand for new electronic products. Retail sales volumes are estimated to have increased by 1.2 per cent in May, following a 1 per cent fall in April as fears over the Iran war caused Brits [...]
UK government borrowing overshoots expectations on day Burnham elected June 19, 2026 UK government borrowing jumped higher than expected than expected in May, official data has shown, with Andy Burnham’s win in Makerfield now setting up a potential shift in public finance forecasts. The Office for National Statistics said the government’s net borrowing was £23.2bn in May, above economists’ £19bn prediction. Further government borrowing came as debt [...]
As it happened: Pound dips and stocks slip as Andy Burnham victory triggers political uncertainty June 19, 2026 Good morning from the City PM liveblog team. Andy Burnham has secured his place in the House of Commons after a decisive by-election win in Makerfield overnight, with 54.8 per cent of the vote, well ahead of Reform’s 34.5 per cent. Top of Burnham’s to-do list is triggering a leadership challenge inside the Labour party, [...]
Burnham warns Labour of ‘final chance’ after Makerfield win June 19, 2026 Andy Burnham has warned Labour MPs they have a “final chance to change” after sweeping to victory in the Makerfield by-election and setting the stage for a leadership challenge against the Prime Minister. Allies of Burnham called on the Prime Minister to hand over power after he bucked a national slide in Labour’s popularity to [...]
Prem Rugby needs to switch up its calendar to stop final being banished to fringes June 19, 2026 Ollie Phillips argues that on this super weekend for sport in the capital, Prem Rugby could do more to be noticed. London is on its very best form this weekend: some of the world’s most exciting male tennis players will contest the HSBC Championships semi-finals and final at The Queen’s Club in Baron’s Court; England [...]
Ministers open door to phased Heathrow third runway plan June 18, 2026 Heathrow’s third runway expansion may be built over several phases in a bid to hit the government’s ambitious timeline, opening the door to a proposal tabled by rival bidder Heathrow West. In planning documents published by the Department for Transport on Thursday, the government said that a phased construction of the mega-project may be necessary [...]