‘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 [...]
Financial services contributed a tenth of UK economic output in 2025 June 3, 2026 The financial services sector contributed over a tenth of the UK’s economic output in the last year as the industry’s productivity outpaced average momentum. The industry provided a £290bn boost to the UK’s real GDP – a macroeconomic measure that adjusts the value of economic output for inflation – in 2025 marking around 11 per [...]
Global trade remains ‘alive and well’ despite tariffs and war, says DHL boss June 3, 2026 From conflict in the Middle East to shifting tariffs and rising concern over Britain’s supply chain resilience, businesses are facing an increasingly unpredictable trading environment. But according to DHL Supply Chain chief executive Hendrik Venter, global trade is adapting rather than retreating. For anyone responsible for moving goods around the world, the past few years [...]
China’s Chery poised to strike deal with Nissan to build cars at Sunderland plant June 3, 2026 Chery is on the cusp of building its first manufacturing presence in the UK in the latest sign of Chinese carmakers gaining a major foothold in Britain’s electric vehicle market. The Omoda and Jaecoo owner, which is the third largest carmaker in China, has unveiled a non-binding memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Nissan to explore [...]
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 [...]
Cliff-edge warning: Fewer than 10 per cent of Brits to achieve a comfortable retirement June 3, 2026 Large numbers of Brits are at risk of facing a retirement ‘cliff edge’ as people fail to save enough to achieve a moderate or comfortable retirement. For someone living on their own, a comfortable lifestyle would require an annual income of £45,400, a level only nine per cent of Brits are on track to hit, [...]
Investec shares rise amid takeover speculation June 3, 2026 Investec shares jumped in early Wednesday trading after the South African financial giant became subject to takeover speculation. Shares rose as much as 4.6 per cent before settling at 1.4 per cent, trading at 669.5p, following reports from M&A blog site Betaville that the bank may have attracted takeover interest, with it citing “people following [...]
Labour turmoil and Iran war brings ‘reversal of fortunes’ for UK economy June 3, 2026 A combination of feverish political speculation and knock on effects from the war in Iran has culminated in a “reversal of fortunes” for the UK economy, as new data suggests activity across the private sector declined in May. S&P Global’s monthly survey of hundreds of firms has shown that business across services companies declined in [...]
OECD: Growth to remain below one per cent as UK economy struggles with unemployment June 3, 2026 What little growth the UK economy will experience this year will be fuelled by high government expenditure, according to the world’s top independent economic organisation. The OECD, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development for long, said public expenditure would “support the economy” even as consumer spending and business investment is set to weaken. The [...]
As it happened: Stocks jitter on stalling US-Iran talks; OECD unemployment warning June 3, 2026 Welcome back to the City PM liveblog. Markets are being pulled in countless directions from the conflicting information emerging around the conflict in the Middle East. The FTSE 100 managed to shrug off some of these jitters yesterday and secure a finish 0.3 per cent higher as the price of oil slipped. But this morning [...]
