Interest rates may not be much use in combating oil prices, but the warnings of the Bank’s chief economist Huw Pill of upside price dangers are not to be ignored. Bouncing backAway from the guessing game about interest rates, some of Britain’s biggest enterprises are in rude health, justifying the rise to a new FTSE 100 record this week. The focus of chief executive Wael Sawan on ditching projects – some of them green – which don’t pay their way, is helping. Chief executive Charlie Nunn unveiled a £13billion four-year plan, which includes a big spend on AI, beefing up corporate banking and creating a smart wallet. Chief executive Tufan Erginbilgic presides over a remarkable recovery story in UK business, with an upgrade in operating profit expectations to as much as £4.9billion in 2026.