The FTSE 100 rose on Thursday, rebounding from the prior session’s losses as investor confidence improved following Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s public backing of Chancellor Rachel Reeves. After market turmoil on Wednesday - when Starmer’s silence during PMQs sparked speculation about Reeves’s position and led to a plunge in the pound and a sharp rise in gilt yields - he told the BBC that Reeves would remain Chancellor “for many years to come.” This reassurance helped stabilize markets, with UK bonds and the pound both recovering. Lloyds Banking was among the best performers, up almost 2%, while NatWest and British American Tobacco were up around 1%. Oil majors Shell and BP also edged higher. Elsewhere, Currys jumped by over 5% after releasing a strong annual report.