Minutes of the Money Market Committee meeting – June 2026
The Chair thanked members for attending and confirmed that the Minutes of the Money Markets Committee (MMC) March 2026 meeting had been published on the Bank’s website.footnote [1]
Crime & Courts
Britons to use e-gates in Switzerland as Starmer seals £5.2bn trade deal
British nationals can expect shorter passport queues at Swiss airports and border crossings after a £5.2bn trade deal was sealed by Keir Starmer, likely his last big international agreement as prime minister.
First the £10 pint, now the £6.50 flat white: coffee industry faces inflationary pressures
Drinkers across the UK were shocked when a pint in some London bars hit £10, and now a cup of coffee is facing a similar inflationary rate. Some baristas are now charging £6.50 for a flat white.
VW chief confirms plan to cut 50,000 jobs as board rejects plant closures
The chief executive of Volkswagen has confirmed plans to cut 50,000 more jobs despite the carmaker’s supervisory board rejecting his plan to shut four factories in Germany.
China’s graduate glut: millions of young people enter a job market with little use for them
This time of year is graduation season in China: traditionally a bittersweet period of solemn goodbyes and family celebrations as university students transition from campus life into adulthood. Now it also increasingly …
Britons give classic round tomato the red card as coloured and vine varieties score
For a long time the classic round, red tomato has dominated British salads and sandwiches, but its supremacy is coming under threat as sales of rainbow colours and the upmarket rival “cherry on the vine” take off.
Struggling pub landlords given a lifeline by England’s World Cup heroes
The beleaguered pub sector is getting a boost from England’s World Cup run, with some landlords reporting roaring sales as anticipation builds for a bumper night on Wednesday for the semi-final clash with Argentina.
Britain’s biggest community solar farm forced to shut over grid overload fears
Britain’s biggest community solar project has been forced to shut for the duration of its first summer by the government’s energy system operator to avoid overloading the local grid with renewable energy.
France and UK to increase staffing at border controls in effort to avert travel chaos
France and the UK have agreed to increase staffing at border controls in response to warnings of travel chaos caused by new fingerprinting and facial recognition checks.
UK must cap political donations to stop the rich buying influence | Heather Stewart
Just as Nigel Farage kicks off a summer of “arguing with a bin” , as the chancellor, Rachel Reeves called it, Labour’s bill to clean up politics returns to the House of Commons this week.
Reeves tells Burnham to expect ‘shocks and challenges’ from outset in No 10
Rachel Reeves has urged Andy Burnham to arrive in Downing Street with a “worked through plan”, saying the incoming prime minister will be tested quickly by a range of incoming “shocks and challenges”.
Tommy Robinson’s Musk-funded Russia trip spurs call to defend UK democracy
The UK must do more to defend its democracy after it emerged that Elon Musk’s family foundation had taken the far-right activist Tommy Robinson to Russia, Ed Davey has said.
UK’s public spending watchdog to investigate Lower Thames Crossing project
The UK’s public spending watchdog has said it plans to investigate the Lower Thames Crossing , as campaigners voice concerns over the rising costs of one of the UK’s largest infrastructure projects.
‘Super’ El Niño could cause global food price shock lasting into 2028, analysts say
Economists are warning that a “super” El Niño weather cycle this year could cause a severe shock to global food prices lasting into 2028.
UK to crack down on unlicensed casinos sponsoring football teams
Ministers are poised to launch a crackdown on unlicensed casinos sponsoring British sports teams, amid criticism that a delay to the proposals has opened the door for offshore gambling firms to strike lucrative deals wi…
'Keeping kids entertained can be expensive so VAT cut will help'
Mother-of-two Kirsty Gillingham knows all too well how expensive keeping children entertained can be.
Elon Musk’s family foundation took Tommy Robinson to Russia, says Musk’s father
Errol Musk says far-right activist is ‘a fine young man’ and held meetings with Russian business figures
Ken Bates, colourful and controversial former Chelsea chair, dies aged 94
Ken Bates, one of the most colourful and controversial figures in the history of English football, has died aged 94, Chelsea have announced.
Datacentres drive up big tech’s carbon emissions to a third of those of France
Microsoft, Amazon and Google’s collective carbon emissions have increased by nearly a fifth in the past year, driven largely by datacentre construction.
‘End of an era’: what is the future of British TV after Sky’s ITV takeover?
Only five years ago a bullish ITV was riding high, trumpeting the biggest annual advertising haul in its history , as the broadcaster pledged to become a national champion in the battle against the US streamers.
Safe from AI: which jobs will help you thrive in the future?
Experts say there will still be opportunities ahead in everything from teaching to hotels and the law
Panino police: packed lunch bans enrage Italians at pricey beach clubs
As lunchtime approaches at Il Tirreno, a private beach club in Montalto di Castro on the Lazio coast, Beatrice Bordo, sitting in the shade of a blue umbrella, unwraps a slice of pizza.
‘Like a sauna’: London tube travellers swelter in temperatures higher than legal limit for cattle
The tube cannot easily be adapted to cope with heatwaves, making conditions almost unbearable
‘A new consumer’: how weight-loss drugs are shaking up clothes shopping
“I’m now at a point where I’m going to buy even more clothes,” says Hayley Grice, 50, from Shropshire, who has dropped seven sizes after starting on the GLP-1 weight loss jab Mounjaro two years ago. “I’m very happy with…