33 result(s) for “Government”
Councils across England are announcing closures or limited hours for public toilets, citing rising maintenance and staffing costs. Volunteers, campaign groups and town councils are stepping in to keep facilities open, highlighting the social and public health consequences for older people, parents and disabled residents.
Britain’s competition regulator has proposed designating Microsoft with strategic market status in its business software ecosystem, a step that could spur rules on bundling, AI tools and cloud licensing and reshape how UK firms buy productivity software.
Official data released on October 15, 2026 shows UK GDP rose 0.1 percent in August, defying forecasts for a contraction. The surprise growth, led by manufacturing and computer programming, shifts market and policy expectations ahead of the autumn Budget and a likely Bank of England rate review.
A new BBC Arts documentary led by Queen Camilla uses personal stories to argue that reading can support mental health, rehabilitation and community belonging. Broadcasters and partners say the film will tie into the UK’s National Year of Reading 2026.
The International Monetary Fund raised its forecast for UK growth in 2026 to 1.3 percent on October 14, 2026, citing stronger-than-expected activity this year, but cautioned that higher energy costs and rising interest rates could slow expansion next year, a development that complicates Chancellor John Healey’s plans ahead of the October 28 budget.
Chancellor John Healey has not ruled out higher levies on UK banks as he prepares his first major fiscal statement on October 28, prompting warnings from City executives that a targeted tax could deter investment and complicate recovery plans for lenders.
London equities nudged up on October 10, 2026, with the FTSE 100 gaining as a retreat in oil prices and lower gilt yields tempered recent market volatility. Banks and energy names drove most of the trading, while investors continued to weigh imminent UK fiscal policy moves and global bond market pressures.
British government bond yields climbed to levels not seen since 2007 on October 9, 2026, as a global bond sell off and a rebound in oil prices pushed investors to demand higher compensation for sovereign debt. The move is pressuring bank stocks, lifting mortgage and corporate financing costs, and complicating Treasury plans ahead of the October 28 Budget.
Ofgem raised the energy price cap for October to December 2026, while the government rebate of VAT on domestic electricity, introduced earlier in October, leaves a gap between headline help and bills many households will still face. The combined measures are reshaping household budgets and corporate cost forecasts ahead of the Autumn Budget.
BT Group has agreed a deal to acquire TalkTalk’s consumer and wholesale operations after the broadband provider entered administration. The emergency sale, urged by ministers, aims to keep services running for 2.5 million customers and safeguard public sector connections while triggering a fast regulatory review.
A major local authority in England has unveiled a new winter outreach and social connection programme aimed at older people living alone, responding to fresh data showing a notable rise in solitary households and worsening mental health over the past year.
Jaguar Land Rover’s voluntary redundancy programme for salaried and management staff closes on October 4, 2026, marking a key point in the company’s two year plan to cut costs and secure 1.7 billion pounds in savings amid weaker sales, tariffs and intensifying competition.
A global rout in government bonds has pushed long UK gilt yields to multi decade highs, forcing lenders to pull cheaper mortgage deals and leaving hundreds of thousands of households facing sharp payment shocks before Chancellor John Healey’s October 28 budget.
The UK Treasury on September 28, 2026 published a revised gilt issuance plan to cover higher borrowing needs, prompting a sharp reassessment across gilt and swap markets and renewed scrutiny of the public finances.
US stock futures moved higher on Monday as Wall Street attempted to recover from another difficult week for the Dow, with investors watching falling oil prices, Treasury yields, interest rates and fresh US-China talks.