London desk

Filed from the London desk — including multi-city pieces that also ran elsewhere.

Business · 28 September 2026

McLaren’s £1bn Revenue Sprint Leaves City Investors Quenching Their Thirst for Speed

Iris Quay, London desk

McLaren Racing is poised to become the first Formula One outfit to hit a billion‑pound revenue haul this year, a feat that has catapulted chief Zak Brown’s salary to unprecedented heights. The team’s financial engi…

Business · 28 September 2026

Bill Gates Warns AI Accord Could Out‑Budge the Cold War

Iris Quay, London desk

Microsoft co‑founder Bill Gates argues that reaching a worldwide AI framework could prove trickier than the 1950s nuclear‑arms talks, and suggests the City may soon have to negotiate a new form of ‘digital non‑pr…

Business · 28 September 2026

Britain’s Pantry in Peril: Drought‑Risk Zones Grow the Nation’s Staples

Iris Quay, London desk

A new report flags that the UK’s key food crops—cereals, potatoes, sugar and oil—are largely cultivated in regions rated as moderate to very high risk of drought, raising questions about food security and the City�…

Business · 28 September 2026

Avanti West Coast Nationalised—The City’s Latest 'Railway that Actually Works' Experiment

Iris Quay, London desk

The Department for Transport will take control of Avanti West Coast next March to turn the notorious timetable into a functioning system, but whether the rail company will survive the paperwork remains to be seen.

Business · 28 September 2026

Beaverbrooks’ Boss Demands a Business Breather Amid Gold‑Dipped Profits

Iris Quay, London desk

The family‑owned jeweller Beaverbrooks has asked the government to halt cost increases after flat sales and a slide in operating profit, a plea that has turned a quiet Sunday afternoon into a headline‑making City sag…

Business · 28 September 2026

Revolut and Rivals Urge Chancellor to Lift Tax Surcharge Threshold, Claim It Would Turn Digital Banking Into ‘Cash‑Only’ Clubs

Iris Quay, London desk

Britain’s top fintech, Revolut, and a cohort of challenger banks have drafted a plea to the Treasury, arguing that a sudden tax surcharge would choke the sector and push firms into a cash‑only era.

Business · 28 September 2026

Triple‑Lock Tumble? The City Watches as a New Care Service Promises Pension Peril

Iris Quay, London desk

Labour’s Andy Burnham’s pledge to fund a national care service has raised eyebrows, with many speculating that the long‑held triple‑lock pension guarantee may finally be on the chopping block. The City’s financ…

World · 28 September 2026

RAF Fairford in the Spotlight: Five Men Nabbed in What May Be a Pre‑emptive Strike Against the Sky

Reginald Penny, London desk

In a move that would make a pigeon blush, five men were detained by counter‑terror police after suspicious vehicles approached RAF Fairford, the US launchpad for bomber sorties. The incident has raised questions about…

Finance · 28 September 2026

Housebuilders' Shares Soar as New‑Home Scheme Turns the City into a Gift‑Wrapped Market

Iris Quay, London desk

UK housebuilders rally after a government plan to help first‑time buyers, sending shares of Crest Nicholson and others to new highs and giving City traders a holiday‑season boost.