High Court grants urgent hearing on Labour’s inheritance tax overhaul January 28, 2026 The High Court has green-lit an urgent hearing at the High Court over the government’s inheritance tax raid on agricultural assets and family firms. The proposed changes to agricultural property relief (APR) and business property relief (BPR) represent one of the biggest shifts in UK inheritance tax (IHT) policy in decades, following the government’s initial [...]
Hakluyt taps Lord Sedwill and Economist’s Lara Boro for board roles January 28, 2026 Lord Mark Sedwill and the Economist Group’s chief executive officer have joined the board of strategic advisory firm Hakluyt. Lord Sedwill, the former cabinet secretary and head of the Home Civil Service under both Prime Ministers Theresa May and Boris Johnson, also served as a national security adviser. The company describes him as “one of [...]
Dollar slides as ‘loss of confidence’ in US policy spikes debasement fears January 28, 2026 The US dollar had its worst day since President Donald Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’ tariff onslaught on Tuesday as investors dumped their exposure to the greenback. The DXY index – which tracks the dollar against a basket of other currencies – has slumped over two per cent since the beginning of the year. Amidst the dollar [...]
Starmer warned on ‘severe’ risk of trading with China January 28, 2026 Keir Starmer has been warned about the “severe” risk of trading with China as he said building economic relations with the world’s second largest economy would drive growth. The Prime Minister landed in Beijing on Wednesday for meetings with Chinese officials including President Xi Jinping in the coming days. He has been joined by City [...]
Starmer is wrong to say he doesn’t have to choose between the US and China January 28, 2026 Is Keir Starmer a geopolitical genius? As he jets off to China for the first visit by a UK Prime Minister since 2018, we must at least consider the possibility that he is. Ahead of his departure Starmer said “I’m often invited to simply choose between countries [but] I don’t do that.” The countries in [...]
Public finance bodies need more clarity, says boss of Reeves’ wealth fund January 28, 2026 The boss of Rachel Reeves’ flagship wealth fund has admitted British entrepreneurs want more clarity across public finance bodies as concerns rise over the growing number of institutions. Former RBS boss Oliver Holbourn, who the Chancellor appointed last July to lead the National Wealth Fund (NWF), said “people want more confidence in who they’re going [...]
Exclusive: Corbyn and Sultana’s Your Party UK Ltd to be deleted January 27, 2026 Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana’s Your Party is set to be wiped off an official register, City AM can reveal. The two former Labour politicians, who are both listed as directors of the party on Companies House, have tussled for control while the launch of the party last year has been dogged by questions over [...]
£300m tax relief for pubs ‘a sticking plaster’ January 27, 2026 Chancellor Rachel Reeves has unveiled a £300m package to support to pubs in their battle against rocketing business rates after widespread backlash to Budget announcements, representing yet another government U-turn on tax plans. The Treasury has announced it will give pubs and music venues a 15 per cent discount on business rates bills from April [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]