Andy Burnham ducks ‘fiscal rules exam’ despite pledge to stick to them June 6, 2026 Andy Burnham refused to explain Labour’s fiscal rules on Friday, despite insisting he would stick to them if he entered Downing Street, raising questions over the economic strategy underpinning his growing leadership bid. The Greater Manchester Mayor, who has spent months positioning himself as Labour’s most prominent alternative voice, was challenged to explain the government’s [...]
As it happened: US jobs smash forecasts; Stocks in green amid cloudy US-Iran peace talks June 5, 2026 Welcome back to the City PM liveblog. Speculation around a peace deal between the US and Iran is continuing to leave markets struggling for direction as hopes of an official agreement face roadblocks. A current draft of a memorandum of understanding between Iran and the US has ambiguities that have to be clarified, an adviser [...]
Place your bets: Will Starmer stay in No 10 longer than England stay in the World Cup? June 4, 2026 He’s faced a difficult few weeks amid mounting scrutiny over his team selection and doubts over his wider strategy after a string of poor performances. If England bow out at this summer’s World Cup, will he survive? No, we’re not talking about team manager, Thomas Tuchel, but the beleaguered Prime Minister Keir Starmer. It’s been [...]
In 23 months Labour has dragged the UK economy to its knees June 4, 2026 Reading our interview with billionaire John Caudwell, in which he says he was “misled” by Labour’s pitch for power, I’m reminded of just how unambiguous Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves were in the run-up to the 2024 election. They promised to be “the most pro-business government this country has ever seen.” Some of us were [...]
‘Tipping point’: CBI boss slams £345bn business tax burden amid ‘cost of doing business’ crisis June 4, 2026 The boss of the UK’s most influential business group will use a landmark speech to warn that the heavy business tax burden is nudging British firms towards a “tipping point”, directly linking the Labour government’s troubles to cost pressures on firms. At a speech for the Confederation of British Industry (CBI)’s business dinner, chief executive [...]
Billionaire Labour backer John Caudwell: I was misled by ‘disastrous’ Starmer June 3, 2026 Billionaire John Caudwell has said he was “misled” by Keir Starmer’s Labour Party and revealed that he hopes to once again back the Tories at the next election. The entrepreneur and philanthropist said there is “no chance” of him voting Labour at the next election, which he says the government is bound to lose. Labour [...]
UK in line for fresh US tariff hit as Trump proposes ‘forced labour’ levy June 3, 2026 Donald Trump has proposed a fresh round of tariffs that would hit numerous nations including the UK as the President seeks to rebuild his sweeping wall of levies that were struck down by the Supreme Court. The US is exploring a tariff of at least ten per cent on imports from up to 60 trading [...]
No ‘capacity’ for Ed Miliband’s warm homes plan, says British bank boss June 2, 2026 A UK banking chief has warned the government does not have the “capacity” to meet its ambition to transition millions of homes to low carbon-heating technologies. Nigel Terrington, the boss of specialist lender Paragon Bank, said Labour faced an “operational capacity constraint” in its bid to implement its warm home plan. The £15bn initiative, which [...]
Is Zack Polanski’s honeymoon over? June 2, 2026 Green Party leader Zack Polanski’s approval ratings have dived as scrutiny over his past experiences has put him in an awkward position. City PM/Freshwater Strategy polling has shown that Polanski’s approval ratings have dropped from a high of -5 in March to as low as -23 in this month’s data. On a monthly basis, his [...]
Labour may not agree with Blair, but the public does… June 2, 2026 This month’s City PM / Freshwater Strategy Poll reveals that the public is largely on the side of the former Prime Minister rather than Keir Starmer or his potential heirs when it comes to welfare, energy costs and growth, says Matthew Lesh Love him or, like many others, absolutely detest his guts, it’s hard to avoid the [...]
