Optimism picking up after ‘disruptive’ Budget, says Paragon chief January 27, 2026 Optimism in the UK is beginning to pick up, the boss of FTSE 250 lender Paragon has said, after sentiment was dampened by rampant tax speculation in the second half of 2025. Nigel Terrington, the boss of Paragon bank, told City AM that despite it being the early days of 2026, the mood was beginning [...]
Exclusive: George Osborne family business pays out nearly £1m despite losses January 27, 2026 George Osborne’s family has received nearly a million pounds in payments from a wallpaper company that has continued to file losses, official accounts show. The former UK Chancellor is slated to have made up to £877,000 alongside his parents and a finance officer working at Osborne & Little, the family-owned wallpaper business which has existed [...]
UK’s wealthiest financier Michael Platt’s hedge fund in high-stakes tax fight January 27, 2026 Hedge funder BlueCrest Capital Management, founded by the UK’s wealthiest financier, Michael Platt, will appeal at the highest court this week over a tax battle with HMRC. The case centres on the salaried members’ rules, which determine if limited liability partnerships (LLP) members are genuinely self-employed or ‘disguised employees’ for tax purposes. HMRC issued determinations [...]
Dr Martens shares take a kicking after demand falls January 27, 2026 Shares in Dr Martens slumped 13 per cent on Tuesday morning after the firm reported a drop in sales over the golden quarter, amid investor concern at its ongoing strategic “pivot”. Revenue at the bootmaker fell 2.7 per cent to £253m in the three months to the end of December, largely due to weakness in [...]
Starmer under fire over China trip amid phone-hacking revelations January 27, 2026 Keir Starmer is under fire over his a trade-focused trip to China this week as further reports of espionage emerged. Chinese officials are believed to have hacked the phones of key government officials, according to The Telegraph. Hackers targeted top aides to UK prime ministers including Boris Johnson, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak, intelligence sources [...]
Whitehall leans on AI to fix failing public services January 27, 2026 The UK government is accelerating its use of AI across public services, as ministers look to modernise creaking systems, boost productivity and strengthen national security. The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) has announced a new cohort of British AI specialists who will spend the next year embedded in government. They will be backed [...]
Formula 1 signs Standard Chartered up as major partner January 27, 2026 Standard Chartered has penned a deal with Formula 1 to become the motor sport’s wealth management and investment banking partner. The City of London-headquartered firm will be involved with Formula 1 as part of a multi-year deal, with Standard Chartered’s branding set to feature trackside. The bank’s chief of corporate and investment banking, Roberto Hoornweg, [...]
HSBC seals $300bn price tag as FTSE 100 banks rally January 27, 2026 Shares in Britain’s banking giants were helping lift the FTSE 100 out of the red this morning as blue-chip lenders rallied ahead of earnings season. HSBC topped the index’s risers with a gain of nearly three per cent to 1,278.20 – an all-time high for Europe’s largest lender. The rally came after Citigroup raised the [...]
Starmer caps ground rents after fears of Rayner-led rebellion January 27, 2026 Sir Keir Starmer has introduced a cap on ground rents following fears of an MP rebellion led by the former deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner. The Prime Minister announced the new move – which will cap ground rents at £250 a year for leaseholders in England and Wales – on TikTok, saying it will “make [...]
Trump to raise tariffs on South Korea to 25 per cent January 27, 2026 US President Donald Trump has said he will increase tariffs on South Korea to 25 per cent, after accusing Seoul of “not living up” to the trade deal reached late last year. In a Truth Social post on Monday, Trump said the increase would apply to a range of products including lumber, automobiles, pharmaceuticals and [...]