5 important things happening in the UK today (9 June 2026)

Here are five important things happening in the UK on Tuesday (9 June 2026):

Major job losses expected

Around 200,000 more Britons are on track to become unemployed this year as conflict in the Middle East continues to put pressure on consumers and companies, new forecasts suggest. In its latest economic forecast published this morning, influential business group the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) predicted that UK unemployment will rise to 5.5% – around two million people. The unemployment rate was most recently reported at 5%, or around 1.8 million people, by the Office for National Statistics. [Sky News]

Driving test booking rules tightened

Learner drivers are now only able to swap their test to the three centres nearest to their original booking location in a bid to cut down waiting times. It comes as official figures shared exclusively with the BBC suggest no-one turned up to take 64,500 practical driving tests last year. The average wait for practical driving tests across Britain are longer than five months. The new rules will stop learners booking the soonest test available anywhere, then making a series of swaps to get a slot closer to home. [BBC]

Rushed social media ban for under-16s in UK could ‘unravel’

A rushed under-16s social media ban in the UK could unravel and families would be left to count the cost, a leading child safety charity has warned. The Molly Rose Foundation (MRF) said an age limit on the use of tech platforms could unravel, after it was reported that the prime minister, Keir Starmer, would announce a ban on under-16s accessing “harmful” social media apps. It is not known which apps would fit into that category, but a blanket ban in Australia covers Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok and Snapchat, among others. [Guardian]

OpenAI plans to go public

OpenAI has revealed plans to sell shares to the public through a stock listing in the US. The AI company behind the popular chatbot ChatGPT said on Monday that it had made a confidential filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission to pursue an initial public offering (IPO) at some point in the future. [The Times]

Financial news

Brent fell toward $93 per barrel on Tuesday after surrendering most of the previous session’s gains, as Iran and Israel agreed to halt attacks against each other, boosting hopes that peace negotiations could move forward. On Tuesday, Oil was trading lower at $90.29. The pound is trading at $1.34, €1.16, and ¥9.06.