Three lenders and a consumer group have launched legal challenges to the Financial Conduct Authority’s redress scheme.

The Iran conflict raising the spectre of interest rate hikes also prompted a rush in mortgage activity in March.

Like other high street lenders, NatWest expects to be bolstered by interest rates staying higher for longer.

Eight members of the Bank’s nine-person Monetary Policy Committee voted to hold interest rates steady.

Whitbread said it wanted to save money in light of cost pressures coming from business rates and national insurance contributions.

The cost of a typical new mortgage payment has overtaken the average rent, according to analysis by Rightmove.

It comes days after several of the UK’s biggest lenders said they had decided not to pursue a challenge.

The UAE joined Opec in 1967, and its departure will leave the oil cartel with 11 member countries including Saudi Arabia, Iran and Iraq.

The annual general meeting was being held on Tuesday morning but had to be stopped for about half an hour amid disruption.

The British luxury carmaker said the automotive industry was grappling with numerous challenges including US tariff policy.

New economic forecasts published by the bank reflect the possible “stagflationary consequences” of war in the Middle East.

The British energy giant said the acquisition will strengthen its resource base ‘for decades to come’.

The banking group’s impairment charge was largely driven by a one-off loss surrounding a single customer within its investment bank.

The Finance and Leasing Association said it had ‘concerns’ about the programme but that it was choosing not to raise a legal challenge.

OpenAI said the plans were being shelved until the ‘right conditions’ allow for long-term investment in the UK’s infrastructure.

Revenues totalled 1.1 billion euros (£960 million) for 2025, up 38% on the year before.

The takeaway firm said it was responding to increasing demand for a “restaurant experience at home”.

Ray Blanchette said he wanted to revive the brand among UK consumers after losing its way in recent years.

Airports Council International wrote a letter to the European commissioners for energy and transport and tourism.

But experts said there were firms waiting in the wings which could lead to a rebound later in the year.