Keir Starmer addresses first Labour conference as PM

Hello and welcome to the working week.

We start with something already under way, but leading UK news agendas this week: Labour’s annual conference in Liverpool.

As an alumnus of the city’s original red-brick university, I have many happy memories of days out at the rejuvenated Victorian waterfront, where Labour party apparatchiks, lobbyists and journalists will gather until Wednesday. Sir Keir Starmer, set to give his first address to delegates as prime minister on Tuesday, may not remember the next few days on the banks of the Mersey so fondly as I do given that controversy swirls about his personal ethics concerning Labour donor Lord Waheed Alli’s largesse.

There is also much chatter about what will and will not be announced in the October Budget as chancellor Rachel Reeves gives her conference speech on Monday. For some insights into Labour’s plans with regards to business, read FT political editor George Parker’s interview with business secretary Jonathan Reynolds.

On the other side of the planet, we begin the week digesting results of Sri Lanka’s presidential election. Read more about that here.

Meanwhile Japan’s Liberal Democrats are gearing up for a “wild west” vote to elect a new leader, and therefore prime minister, on Friday. Could they appoint the country’s first female PM? Read this to find out more about the various contenders in this unusually wide-open contest.

Austria goes to the polls on Sunday with recent polls showing a clear lead for the far-right Freedom party.

The new earnings season has yet to kick into gear, but the companies news diary includes British tech firm Raspberry Pi announcing its first results as a company listed on the London market on Tuesday. Also of note on the earnings schedule are the world’s largest clothing retailer H&M and global professional services business Accenture.

After last week’s deluge of rate-setting meetings, several central bankers will be out on the speaking circuit this week. There is also a more modest flow of economic data reports than last week, though we will get G7 economic comparisons from the latest PMI data on Monday and the final US GDP estimate for the second quarter on Thursday. More details on all of these elements below.

One more thing . . . 

First, thank you to my colleagues David and Melody for holding the fort these past four weeks, and thank you also to those of you who wished me well, and even worried that I might not be returning from this brief sabbatical to rest, reflect and plan some new projects. The highlight was our family adventure across the US, by plane, train and automobile, which was even better than my (work) trip taking part in a guitar retreat in Turkey for the FT Travel section — I mention this because the piece, which you can read here, came out while I was away.

Wherever you find yourself this week, I hope it proves fruitful. Please share your thoughts about the highlights for this week by emailing me at [email protected] or, if you are reading this from your inbox, hitting reply.

Key economic and company reports

Here is a more complete list of what to expect in terms of company reports and economic data.

Monday

• Eurozone, India, France, Germany, UK, US: HCOB/S&P Global September manufacturing and services purchasing managers’ index data

• Japan: Autumn Equinox Day observed. Financial markets closed.

• Results: Oxford BioMedica HY

Tuesday

• Bank of Canada governor Tiff Macklem provides a fireside chat at the Institute of International Finance and Canadian Bankers Association Canada Forum in Toronto

• Banca d’Italia/G7 workshop titled “Building a quantum safe financial system: what role for authorities and for the private sector?” The event will include introductory remarks by Banca d’Italia senior deputy governor Luigi Federico Signorini

• Australia: Reserve Bank of Australia interest rate decision announced

• Germany: Ifo Business Climate Index

• Japan: flash PMI data (AM local time)

• Nigeria: Monetary Policy Committee interest rate decision announced

• UK: average household income statistics

• Results: AutoZone Q4, AG Barr HY, Card Factory HY, Fonix FY, HSS Hire HY, Raspberry Pi HY, Smiths FY, SThree Q3 trading update, Tui pre-close trading update

Wednesday

• Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee member Megan Greene speaks at event hosted by Newcastle’s Chambers of Commerce

• Philippine central bank governor Eli Remolona speaks at a forum of the Asian Development Bank on capital markets in Manila

• Meta Connect developer conference begins, bringing together engineers, designers, and creatives to discuss virtual reality, with a keynote address by Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg

• OECD Interim Economic Outlook Report

• Australia: August consumer price index (CPI) inflation rate data

• France: September INSEE consumer confidence survey

• US: August new home sales figures

• Results: Co-operative HY, De La Rue AGM trading update, DFS Furniture FY, Micron Technology Q4

Thursday

• Shoib Khan, director of insurance supervision at the Bank of England’s Prudential Regulation Authority, speaks at the 29th Bank of America Financials CEO conference

• Germany: GfK consumer climate survey

• Japan: Bank of Japan publishes its monetary policy meeting minutes

• UK: Financial Conduct Authority annual public meeting. Also, August capital issuance statistics

• US: final Q2 GDP data

• Results: Accenture Q4, Costco Wholesale Q4, CVS FY, H&M Q3, Pantheon Infrastructure HY

Friday

• France: September CPI and PPI inflation rate data

• Germany: monthly labour market statistics

• US: University of Michigan monthly consumer sentiment survey

World events

Finally, here is a rundown of other events and milestones this week.

Monday

• Austria: International Atomic Energy Authority board meeting in Vienna

• France: Paris Fashion Week begins, running until October 1

Tuesday

• UK: Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer addresses MPs and other delegates at the Labour party conference in Liverpool

• US: UN General Debate opens in New York

Wednesday

Thursday

• Germany: first plenary session of the Thuringian State Parliament following Alternative for Germany’s victory in the regions recent elections

• Italy: G7 agriculture ministers’ meeting begins in Syracuse

• Luxembourg: Pope Francis commences a four-day visit to the north European nation and its neighbour Belgium

• US: World Bank/IFS/ODI Public Finance Conference begins in Washington

Friday

• Japan: Liberal Democratic party holds a leadership vote, in effect deciding the new prime minister, after current premier Fumio Kishida said last month he would not seek re-election

• UK: Scottish Conservatives due to announce the winner of their leadership ballot to replace Douglas Ross

Saturday

Sunday