How London fell back in love with the office February 7, 2026 With workplace leasing enjoying a major post-pandemic bounceback, it's clear that, once again, the office is seen as critical to success.
Households to pay more for BBC TV licence, government confirms February 6, 2026 Households across the country will see their bills rise after the Labour government increased the TV licence fee that funds the BBC. The Department of Culture, Media and Sport said on Friday that the annual levy will be increased to £180 from 1 April. This marks a £5.50 yearly increase. The move follows rules brought [...]
Newly listed Smarter Web Company share price plummets amid Bitcoin fall February 6, 2026 One of the London Stock Exchange’s newest members have suffered a staggering drop in its share price after becoming embroiled in the early morning Bitcoin plunge. The Smarter Web company, which listed on London’s main market just three days ago, suffered a 22.5 per cent drop in early morning trading to 31.25 pence. Since listing [...]
Exclusive: Lloyd’s of London quietly shelves Blueprint Two to rethink strategy February 6, 2026 After years of delays, Lloyd’s of London’s ambitious strategy to digitalise the marketplace has been shelved, as new management under Patrick Tiernan seeks to rethink the approach. Blueprint Two, launched seven years ago, was a programme pitched as delivering a “profound” change in the London specialist and reinsurance market through digitalisation. Lloyd’s, together with the [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Starmer unease rattles markets; Big tech sell-off February 6, 2026 Good morning and welcome back to the City PM liveblog. Speculation over Keir Starmer’s future has unleashed a fresh round of market unease as investors dumped the pound, UK equities and long-dated government bonds amid rising political uncertainty. The gulf in price between the UK’s short- and long-term debt – known as the yield curve – reached [...]
Majority of landlords to hike rent due to Reeves’ tax raid February 6, 2026 The majority of landlords increasing rents blamed Rachel Reeves’ new tax on property income from April next year, a survey has shown. According to the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA), two thirds of landlords (65 per cent) raising prices over the next year cited the government’s plans to charge a two percentage point tax rate [...]
Banks ombudsman complaints slump after Treasury overhaul February 5, 2026 Complaints to the banks ombudsman fell to the lowest level in two years in the last quarter of 2025 as changes from regulators and Treasury ease the caseload. Between October and December the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) received 47,300 complaints – a major drop from the 68,400 lodged the year prior. It also maintains a [...]
Bank of England raises alarm on unemployment as interest rates unchanged February 5, 2026 The Bank of England has held interest rates but policymakers warned that the spiralling unemployment rate and weak growth was weighing down on price growth. In its decision on Thursday, the Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee voted 5-4 to leave interest rates at 3.75 per cent. But economists warned that unemployment could jump higher over the [...]
UK construction ‘exits tailspin’ but job losses persist as housebuilding slumps February 5, 2026 The UK’s struggling construction sector showed signs it was turning a corner at the beginning of the year even as job losses and shrinking order books persisted. The latest construction Purchasing Manager’s Index (PMI) from S&P Global – which serves as a headline index tracking industry activity – edged up to 46.4, up from 40.1 [...]
Bank of England Live: Interest rates held in narrow 5-4 call February 5, 2026 Good morning and welcome to the City PM liveblog. The Bank of England’s monetary committee has decided to hold rates in its first meet of the year. Markets – and City PM‘s own Shadow MPC – had placed their bets on a hold as the Bank continues its gradual chop to the base rate. In [...]
