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Business

31 stories

Downing Street cabinet room with empty chairs around a long polished table, binders and water glasses, overcast daylight through tall windows, no logos or readable text.

Burnham Rejects Cooper's Pre-Budget NHS Cash Plea in Cabinet Spending Row

Prime Minister Andy Burnham blocked Health Secretary Yvette Cooper's bid for a pre-Budget NHS uplift, insisting Treasury lines must hold until the Office for Budget Responsibility signs off on growth assumptions.

Helen Crowe Oct 11, 2026

Exterior of the Bank of England on Threadneedle Street on an overcast morning, stone facade and black railings, commuters passing on wet pavement, no logos or readable text

Andrew Bailey Links Gilt Rout to Fiscal Credibility as UK Borrowing Costs Hit 28-Year High

The Bank of England governor warned markets could push gilt yields higher if investors doubt the UK’s fiscal path, three weeks before John Healey’s first Budget.

Helen Crowe Oct 10, 2026

Offshore gas platform on the North Sea under grey October skies, yellow maintenance cranes on the deck, North Sea chop, distant supply vessel, sodium deck lights starting to glow, no logos or readable text

Shell UK Trade Body Flags North Sea Maintenance Delays as Gas Forward Curve Jumps

Offshore Energies UK warns deferred platform work is colliding with a steeper winter gas forward curve as Middle East supply risks keep sterling household contracts in focus.

Helen Crowe Oct 9, 2026

Glass-fronted office tower in London’s docklands financial district at overcast dawn, commuters crossing a plaza below, no logos or readable text on buildings

Vodafone Rises as Vega Family Vehicle Crosses 9% Holding Before e& Stake Close

Vega’s TR-1 filings show Xavier Niel’s vehicle above 9% of Vodafone voting rights while the £4.4 billion e& block trade awaits regulatory sign-off.

Helen Crowe Oct 8, 2026

Shoppers pass a Boots pharmacy storefront on a busy British high street as staff change window displays

Boots Agrees £6.7 Billion Sale to Canada's Weston Family as Sycamore Partners Exits

Wittington Investments will buy Boots from Sycamore Partners in an $8.9 billion deal covering UK and Ireland stores, opticians and No7 Beauty, with completion expected in early 2027.

Helen Crowe Oct 7, 2026

Glass-walled meeting room at HM Treasury in Westminster, officials seated around a long table with notebooks and water carafes, overcast daylight through windows, no logos or readable text

Healey Tells Bank Chiefs Fiscal Outlook Is Challenging as Surcharge Talk Swirls

Chancellor John Healey told chief executives the fiscal picture remains difficult after a Tuesday City roundtable, as analysts debate whether lifting the bank surcharge or easing Basel buffers would raise more cash.

Helen Crowe Oct 7, 2026