‘No need to take action’ on fuel duty, says Labour minister March 29, 2026 A Labour cabinet minister has pushed back against rallying calls for the government to hand petrol retailers some reprieve, stating there is “no need” to axe the planned hike in fuel duty. Education secretary Bridget Bridget Phillipson said on Sunday the government would “take a view closer to the time” on whether to press ahead [...]
Kemi Badenoch to call for oil drilling to be maximised March 28, 2026 Kemi Badenoch is to launch a campaign calling for Britain to maximise the use of its oil and gas reserves. The Conservatives will put a “get Britain drilling” campaign at the heart of their proposals for bringing down the spike in energy prices caused by the war in the Middle East. Iran’s blockade of the [...]
Reeves’ energy bill crackdown prompts industry backlash March 28, 2026 Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ push to crack down on “profiteering” among retailers has led to backlash across industry as suppliers are warning of shortages on the horizon. Reeves has been warned by industry bosses that the focus on profiteering lacked justification and was part of a political ploy ahead of crucial elections in May. Asda boss [...]
Sadiq Khan to be handed peerage March 27, 2026 Sadiq Khan is poised to be handed a peerage as part of an effort from Keir Starmer to placate one of the loudest Labour party critics of his stuttering administration. According to reports, the London mayor is one of several contenders in line to be elevated to the UK’s second chamber after May’s local elections, [...]
Nato: Starmer’s defence spending pledge lagging behind March 26, 2026 Sir Keir Starmer’s pledge to upgrade the armed forces is facing renewed scrutiny after official Nato figures suggested that spending in defence was lagging ahead of a crucial expenditure target in 2027. Starmer said last year that the government would increase spending on defence to 2.6 per cent of GDP from 2027. But Nato, the [...]
NS&I set to fork out millions over huge missing savings scandal March 26, 2026 National Savings and Investments (NS&I) is set to fork out millions of pounds to customers following a missing savings scandal. The government-backed bank is expected to pay out to customers who claim there have been failures in managing their money, with failings dating back years, according to reports in The Telegraph. The bank has been [...]
Is Rachel Reeves actually to blame for the ‘Truss crash’? March 26, 2026 After years of blaming the 'Truss crash' on tax cuts, Rachel Reeves has finally gestured to the real problem – her own instinct to overspend, writes Tom Harwood.
UK economy set for second lowest growth in G7 – OECD March 26, 2026 The UK economy is set to suffer the second lowest growth and second highest level of inflation in the G7, the OECD has predicted, in a damning set of forecast revisions for the Labour government and the Bank of England. Growth in the UK will slow to around 0.7 per cent, according to the OECD, [...]
Kickstart North Sea production to dodge Iran fallout, Serica warns March 26, 2026 Serica Energy has urged the government to prioritise domestic production in the North Sea, as oil and gas supplies continued to be held in the Strait of Hormuz amid the Iran war in its latest annual results. Serica noted that confidence in the UK North Sea sector had been “eroded” and while the government has [...]
FTSE 100 Live: OECD slashes UK growth prospects as inflation set to jump March 26, 2026 Good morning and welcome back to the City PM liveblog. The White House’s Press Secretary has said the US is “very close” to meeting its objectives in the Iran war, though offered no specific timeline on when the conflict could come to a close. But Iran’s foreign minister has said the country has “no intention [...]
