UK economy and politics in charts

On June 23, 2016, Britons headed to the polls to vote on whether to stay in the European Union. A shock result emerged overnight: the electorate had voted to leave the bloc by 52% to 48%. The pound tanked. London’s FTSE 100 tumbled. Then-Prime Minister David Cameron — who had called the referendum and led…

Read More

Andy Burnham wins Makerfield by-election

Andy Burnham has won a special election to the British parliament, clearing a path for him to challenge Prime Minister Keir Starmer for the party leadership. Burnham, Labour’s former Greater Manchester mayor, defeated the Reform U.K. party by more than 9,000 votes, taking nearly 55% of the vote, in the election in Makerfield, in north-west…

Read More

Wall Street set for a winning week

Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange during morning trading on May 21, 2026 in New York City. Michael M. Santiago | Getty Images Hello, this is Leonie Kidd writing to you from London. Welcome to today’s edition of the Daily Open newsletter. What a difference a week makes. On Monday,…

Read More