A new LISA life: why the lifetime ISA needs reform July 18, 2025 While the Treasury Committee has criticised the Lifetime ISA (LISA) as poor value for money, helping young people get on the housing ladder remains a worthwhile goal, says Oliver Dean The Treasury Committee has raised valid concerns about the Lifetime ISA’s (LISA) value for money, concluding that in its current form the scheme is not [...]
Businesses stand ready tackle long-term sickness – if only we let them July 18, 2025 The huge spike in people being signed off work for mental health problems is a disaster for their individual wellbeing and for Britain’s economic prospects. Thankfully, the private sector is more than prepared to play its part, says Nick Tyrone The latest employment figures make for stark reading. Data from the ONS this week tells [...]
Week in Business: Reeves bets on the banks but economy still hurting July 17, 2025 Rachel Reeves set out to charm the City this week, but elsewhere, the economy is reeling from high taxes and low confidence.
Will the Afghan leak win votes for Nigel Farage? Don’t be so sure July 17, 2025 Nigel Farage and Reform UK have made hay out of the government’s embarrassing leak and subsequent cover-up of information concerning Afghan asylum applications. But it may not be the vote-winner he thinks, says William Atkinson “The supreme function of statesmanship,” according to Enoch Powell, “is to provide against preventable evils’” Considering that, what should we [...]
What should investors do in H2? Diversify July 17, 2025 At a time of global uncertainty, diversifying your investments across regions and sectors remains the best way to protect your portfolio, says Liz Ann Sonders The year 2025 began on a note of buoyancy. Fresh off the back of the US Presidential election, equity markets were roaring, fuelled by optimism that deregulation and tax cuts [...]
Should politicians try to understand the people behind the polling? July 17, 2025 Trying to identify different types of voters is fun, but ultimately a futile exercise in reducing people to stereotypes, says John Oxley There was one question doing the rounds this week in Westminster – “Which one are you?”. It was raised by a new report from think tank More in Common, which set out to [...]
Does Rachel Reeves believe in capitalism? July 17, 2025 The Chancellor can’t do the biggest things she needs for growth because she can’t escape her own ideology, says Helen Thomas Spin only gets you so far in the business world. Action has to back up rhetoric or the game will be found out. This is the main difference between business and politics: the former [...]
The Bank of England is right: £25bn in assets isn’t that much for an SME lender July 17, 2025 Mid-tier banks have long faced regulatory hurdles that hinder growth, especially the minimum requirements once a lender’s assets reach £15-£25bn. Thankfully that’s about to change, but that should be just the start of reforms, says Nigel Terrington Each week, my commute to Paragon’s Solihull headquarters takes me past HS2 construction sites, bustling with heavy machinery [...]
Sticky inflation takes shine off Reeves’ week July 17, 2025 If the Chancellor was hoping to bask in the glow of supportive front-page coverage the morning after her Mansion House speech, she would have been disappointed. The spectacular revelations of Whitehall’s hushed-up cock-up over Afghan refugees knocked her off the top of the news agenda pretty much across the board. Only City AM gave her [...]
The Capitalist: slim pickings at Mansion House July 17, 2025 A slither of salmon at Mansion House, protein-packed ‘Super Plates’ at Pret and a self-appreciating AI. Catch up with all the latest gossip from the Square Mile with The Capitalist The Capitalist rubbed shoulders with the City’s great and good at Mansion House on Tuesday, where a decidedly upbeat Rachel Reeves told the assembled financiers [...]