UK borrowing costs rise, then dip, as pressure grows on Starmer; Japan’s Nikkei hits record high after Takaichi’s election win – as it happened

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Sterling is dropping this morning after the resignation of Morgan McSweeney, Keir Starmer’s chief of staff, increased the pressure on the prime minister.

The pound has fallen by half a eurocent to €1.146, the lowest since 22 January.

In the UK, political pressure on PM Starmer is mounting which is weighing on UK assets

The Japanese parliamentary election, held yesterday, saw an overwhelming victory for the Liberal Democratic Party. The party, led by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, won two thirds of the seats in the lower house, the best result for a single party since the end of the Second World War.

Japanese stocks performed well as Takaichi intends to pursue supportive fiscal policy. Japanese government bond yields edged slightly higher, while the yen gained ground after Japanese Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama reiterated her willingness to preserve the stability of the currency.

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Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial news


Sterling is dropping this morning after the resignation of Morgan McSweeney, Keir Starmer’s chief of s... The story is categorized under UK Politics with a positive tone (score 0.20).

Key Insights

Primary keywords: takaichi, election, starmer, japan, japanese.
Topic focus: UK Politics coverage with positive sentiment.
Source context: reported by Guardian Business.
Published: 2026-02-09.

Tone & Sentiment

The article tone is classified as positive, driven by the language and emphasis in the summary. The sentiment score of 0.20 indicates the strength of that tone.

Context

This piece fits within the broader UK Politics narrative, connecting current events to ongoing developments. Readers tracking UK Politics trends can use this article as a concise signal of what is shaping coverage right now.

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UK Politics

Key Takeaway

In short, this article underscores key movement in UK Politics and explains why it matters now.

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Guardian Business UK borrowing costs rise, then dip, as pressure grows on Starmer; Japan’s Nikkei hits record high after Takaichi’s election win – as it happened