‘They want business on board’: How Reform UK is wooing City chiefs at its conference September 1, 2026 Nigel Farage’s Reform UK is on a mission to win over businesses before the next election. Maurício Alencar and Ali Lyon report on how the party’s upcoming conference in Birmingham could determine its political future. By the time Britain’s executives descend on the Reform UK party conference this week, many will already be well-acquainted with [...]
Burnham is ‘not behind’ business confidence bounce September 1, 2026 Andy Burnham’s rise to Number 10 is not the reason for a bounce in business confidence, industry leaders have said. Some analysts have attributed a higher degree of optimism among businesses and consumers in recent months to the “Burnham bounce” and new political direction since Sir Keir Starmer resigned. But influential lobby group the Institute [...]
Badenoch bets on experience as Griffith and Tugendhat claim shadow cabinet top spots August 31, 2026 Andrew Griffith has been announced as the new shadow chancellor, replacing Sir Mel Stride in a Conservative Party reshuffle carried out before parliament returns on Tuesday. Griffith, who was the shadow business secretary, will now lead on economic policy for the Tories heading up a new Conservative Economics Unit. Kemi Badenoch’s decision to sack Stride [...]
‘Big Brother’: HMRC agents to target mansions with ponies and pools August 31, 2026 HMRC agents are set to inspect homes with ponies, scenic views and balconies in order to value homes for the “mansion tax”. Officials will be sent to properties to consider architectural styles, numbers of bedrooms and whether homes have swimming pools or tennis courts before determining whether homes should be taxed at a higher rate. [...]
Treasury ‘tells Healey’ to consider tax on banks and oil August 30, 2026 Chancellor John Healey has been presented with a plan to tax oil firms and banks further as bosses in the sectors have posted huge profits, according to reports. Healey may look to tax businesses at this year’s Budget in order to rebuild a partly-eroded £22.7bn fiscal buffer, and fill spending pledges for defence and the [...]
Lord Walker calls for Healey to cut business taxes August 30, 2026 Iceland boss Lord Richard Walker has urged Andy Burnham and John Healey to cut taxes for businesses and to stop focusing on the cost of living. Walker, who backed Labour at the last election, said Healey should ease costs for employers. The supermarket chief was the cost of living tsar under Sir Keir Starmer’s government [...]
Cleverly announces bid to run for London mayor August 29, 2026 James Cleverly has quit from Kemi Badenoch’s shadow cabinet in order to launch his bid to run for mayor of London. Cleverly, who was the shadow housing and local government secretary, said he would put himself forward for the Conservatives’ candidacy for London mayor. He said the capital needed someone who “is prepared to fight [...]
‘War on wealth creation’: capital gains tax raid would lose government money, Tories argue August 28, 2026 A fresh capital gains tax raid on Britain’s wealthiest would ultimately lose the government money, according to new Conservative analysis of Treasury data. Internal government modelling suggests that the top rate of capital gains tax (CGT) is already too high and hiking it further would lead to lower tax receipts. Figures presented to the Labour [...]
Mike Ashley slams Burnham’s ‘populist’ plans to revive high street August 27, 2026 Retail tycoon Mike Ashley has blasted Andy Burnham’s proposals to revive the British high street as “populist” and “too little too late”. The billionaire Sports Direct and Frasers Group founder has written to the Prime Minister accusing him of failing to tackle the cost of living with “delusional” policies. The causes of the UK’s rising [...]
Neets dip below one million as Labour blamed for youth unemployment August 27, 2026 The number of Neets, who are young people not in employment, education or training, has fallen marginally below the one million mark, the UK’s official data body said. The Office for National Statistics said it estimated the number of people aged between 16 and 24 out of work to be about 981,000 in the three [...]