Burnham to crack down on vape and betting shops August 11, 2026 Andy Burnham is set to unveil a crackdown on vape and betting shops in a bid to boost British high streets, which the Prime Minister says have been “hollowed out” in recent decades. Burnham will on Tuesday set out plans to scrap the Blair-era “aim to permit” rule, which requires councils to accept planning applications [...]
Burnham should go on a ‘cost of doing business’ tour August 11, 2026 An alarming note from one of the City’s top economists warns that October’s Budget could see taxes rise by almost the same amount as they did last year when Rachel Reeves cooked up £26bn worth of fresh hikes. Ruth Gregory, Deputy Chief UK Economist at Capital Economics, suggests that higher taxes “perhaps worth up to [...]
‘Cost of business crisis’ as government drives up overheads by 70 per cent in a decade August 11, 2026 British companies are facing a “cost of business crisis” as a string of controversial government policies have pushed up an average firm’s expenses by 70 per cent in a decade, one of the country’s largest industry bodies has found. A typical-mid-sized firm is now paying roughly £827,000 more a year than they were in 2016 [...]
Top economists shun Burnham over wealth taxes August 10, 2026 Economic heavyweights who were reported to be advising Andy Burnham have opted not to join his government due to disagreements over potential wealth taxes, it has been reported. Lord Jim O’Neill, the former Goldman Sachs executive, is in ongoing talks with Burnham over a potential role, City AM reported last week. Fresh reports have suggested [...]
Burnham bounce: PM gets popularity boost – at Farage’s expense August 10, 2026 Andy Burnham scored a sharp boost in popularity ratings in July just as Nigel Farage’s ratings cratered, new polling has found. The latest City AM/Freshwater Strategy poll of UK voters has shown that Burnham’s approval ratings jumped by 12 points in July from a net score of zero, making him the most positively received figure [...]
Burnham takes on ‘rip-off’ discounts and subscriptions in cost of living push August 10, 2026 Andy Burnham has vowed to outlaw fake discounts and crack down on stealth subscriptions as he pledges to deliver “breathing room” on the cost of living. The Prime Minister has proposed to ban businesses from advertising “rip-off” discounts and said he will accelerate existing plans to make subscriptions easier to cancel. These two pledges come [...]
Ex-UK minister Robertson rubbishes Ukrainian claims he aided Russia’s Olympic return August 10, 2026 Former Sports Minister Sir Hugh Robertson has shut down claims he was central to Russia’s readmission into the Olympic Games, telling City AM that claims he is a “Russian stooge” are “rubbish”. The former Conservative cabinet minister and the International Olympic Committee’s chair of the Working Group on the Fundamental Principles of Olympism, has described [...]
Government to inject millions into electric vehicle firms despite mandate backlash August 10, 2026 The government will invest £65m into firms producing zero-emission vehicles, despite backlash from the automotive industry over its controversial electric vehicle mandate. The funding includes £50m for car firms and research partners to help produce electric vehicles at a larger scale. The Department of Business, Innovation, Science and Trade said the funding would support 1,800 [...]
Burnham to unveil new cost of living measures on UK tour August 9, 2026 Prime minister Andy Burnham will start a national tour on Monday to hear Brits’ concerns about the cost of living and unveil a series of measures to provide financial support. Burnham plans to use the national tour to tell voters about his 10-year plan for the UK, while also announcing his new policies to “give [...]
Government urged to refuse £1bn British Steel repayment to Chinese former owner August 7, 2026 Business secretary Jonathan Reynolds has been urged to refuse to pay back almost £1bn in loans to the Chinese former owners of British Steel after it was nationalised earlier this year. British Steel owed just under £1bn to companies connected to its owner Jingye Steel before it was taken into public ownership in an emergency [...]