John Healey is a beer man. Does this spell good news for pubs? October 27, 2026 Geoffrey Howe sipped a gin and tonic, Nigel Lawson quaffed a wine spritzer, while George Osborne and Gordon Brown stuck to mineral water. Ahead of his first Budget, one of the many decisions weighing on Chancellor John Healey’s mind will be whether to get a little squiffy at the despatch box. If he does, it [...]
Healey warned ‘the dam is breaking’ on shop price inflation October 27, 2026 The Chancellor has been warned that the “dam is starting to break” on surging shop price inflation, which retailers had kept at bay with heavy discounting. Shop prices rose by 2.1 per cent in the year to October, according to new data from the British Retail Consortium, ahead of September’s 1.4 per cent and the [...]
Amir Khan’s union the GFA hires £500-an-hour silk to probe fighters’ rights October 27, 2026 Amir Khan’s trade union for combat sports, the Global Fighters’ Association, has hired top barrister Jonathan Caplan KC to lead an investigation into boxing and MMA. The GFA is aiming to raise £500,000 through crowdfunding to complete its certification as a union and launch the three-month inquiry into the safety, governance and treatment of fighters [...]
‘You can walk in the road!’: Inside Oxford Street’s first day without traffic October 26, 2026 As the first phase of the mayor's Oxford Street pedestrianisation project began, Anna Moloney rushed to Selfridges to soak up the scene.
Deloitte hikes pay for top boss while headcount shrinks October 26, 2026 Big Four giant Deloitte hiked pay for one of its chief executives last year by almost half while overall headcount at the firm fell, in part tied to targeted job cuts. According to the firm’s latest accounts, Deloitte’s chief executive of EMEA, Richard Houston, saw his pay increase to £7.1m, almost fifty per cent more [...]
Healey to ‘increase minimum wage by 3.9 per cent’ October 26, 2026 Chancellor John Healey will reportedly hike the minimum wage by nearly four per cent at the Budget, setting the floor for wages for all over 21-year-olds at £13.20 for the next year. Healey is expected to deliver a huge pay increase of 3.9 per cent to low-wage workers on Wednesday, according to The Times. However, [...]
Meta unveils $95bn share sale as AI spending drains cash reserves October 26, 2026 Meta has announced plans to raise up to $95bn (£71bn) through share sales to fund its AI expansion, as soaring infrastructure costs put pressure on the Facebook owner’s cash flow. The tech giant said on Monday it would raise $35m through public equity offerings, followed by a further $60bn through a programme allowing it to [...]
Farage: ‘Loathsome’ banks should not be hit with new tax October 26, 2026 Nigel Farage has said that banks should not be hit with new taxes at this week’s Budget in a partial U-turn on his previous position. Earlier this year, the Reform UK leader vowed to scrap interest payments lenders receive on deposits at the Bank of England, a move that would be widely regarded as a [...]
The anatomy of a bank tax: what can the UK learn from Europe? October 26, 2026 With days to go until John Healey delivers a Budget expected to target banks with a cash raid, Samuel Norman looks at the UK bank tax framework and other experiments across Europe. For years City lobbyists managed to bat away demands for a bank tax hike. As Chancellor, despite delivering two tax-heavy Budgets, Rachel Reeves [...]
Activist investor revives Auction Technology Group campaign October 26, 2026 The notorious activist investor behind a failed bid to buy Auction Technology Group has revived its campaign against the FTSE 250 firm’s management, calling for a new chair and a strategic review that could result in a sale. Fitzwalter Capital, which is Auction Technology’s (ATG) largest shareholder, called on investors to oust incumbent chair Scott [...]