Petrol prices hit Iran war high as oil tops $100 again May 26, 2026 Petrol prices in the UK have hit a new high since the Iran war began, as the price of oil jumped back up to $100 per barrel following fresh US strikes. The average price of a litre of petrol is now 159.43p in the UK, according to motoring services firm the RAC. This petrol price [...]
B&Q owner eyes warm weather boost as sales fall May 26, 2026 B&Q’s FTSE 100 owner will be hoping for a heatwave boost after it blamed poor weather for falling sales at the start of the year. Kingfisher, which also owns Screwfix and home improvement retailers in France and Poland, saw total like-for-like sales dip by 0.9 per cent to £3.3bn in the first quarter of the [...]
Next boss slams Labour’s zero-hour contracts crackdown May 26, 2026 The boss of Next has slammed the government’s crackdown on zero-hour contracts and called on Labour to unwind its “employment taxes”. Lord Simon Wolfson, chief executive of the FTSE 100 retailer, said the government’s plans to force employers to offer guaranteed hours to those on flexible contracts will make it “much harder” for Next to [...]
Intense discounting pushes food inflation to year low May 26, 2026 Intense competition among UK supermarkets has pushed food inflation to its lowest level in a year, despite warnings that the Iran war will push up prices. Heavy discounting saw food inflation fall from 3.1 per cent last month to 2.7 per cent in May, according to data by the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and NIQ. [...]
Is housebuilding in London impossible? May 25, 2026 After its 900-home development in Peckham was blocked, housebuilder Berkeley said it can “no longer invest” in London. Felix Armstrong asks whether development in the capital really has hit a brick wall At the Aylesham Centre in Peckham, south London, shoppers are met with graffitied walls, peeling paint and shuttered retail units. The site began [...]
Collective redundancy reforms could saddle firms with ‘perpetual’ bureaucracy May 25, 2026 The government has been warned against law changes on collective redundancy which businesses say could swamp bosses in more costs and bureaucracy. As part of Labour’s Employment Rights Act, the government is set to require businesses to undertake a consultation of the entire firm whenever they make a certain number of redundancies. Under existing rules, [...]
Easyjet founder bets on World Cup in prediction markets pivot May 25, 2026 The billionaire behind Easyjet is taking a punt on sports betting as he launches prediction markets ahead of the World Cup. Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou, who founded the budget airline in 1995, launched his Easybet platform in 2024 and is now expanding into prediction markets, CityAM can reveal. Betting is the latest spin-off for the [...]
Starmer urges TNT Sports to air Champions League final for free May 23, 2026 Sir Keir Starmer has urged the broadcaster of the Champions League final to air the game for free next Saturday. The Prime Minister is attempting to prevent this year becoming the first in the Champion’s Leagues 34-year history in which the final is not free to watch for British fans. The match will be streamed [...]
Superdrug owner eyes up London float in $30bn dual listing May 23, 2026 The owner of Superdrug is eyeing up a blockbuster London float as part of a $30bn dual listing later this year. AS Watson, which owns the health and beauty retailer, plans to raise about $2bn by listing its shares in both London and Hong Kong before the end of 2026. The Superdrug owner would join [...]
Brewdog founder James Watt launches ‘equity punk’ comeback May 23, 2026 Brewdog founder James Watt has launched a comeback after the craft beer firm he co-founded collapsed earlier this year. Watt said on Friday he will launch Second Best, a new crowdfunded beer venture, in a bid to win back the “equity punks” who were left empty handed in Brewdog’s sale. The divisive entrepreneur said he [...]
