Voters blame Labour for tax hikes amid gloomy outlook December 2, 2025 A majority of voters believe that the raft of tax-raising measures unveiled at last week’s Budget prove that Labour has failed to fix the public finances after more than year in office. Senior Labour officials including Chancellor Rachel Reeves have suggested that the government faced constraints on public finances as a result of international trade [...]
David Lammy promises ‘fast and fair justice’ plan after jury trial leak sparked outrage December 2, 2025 After a week of criticism following leaked details of plans to scrap some jury trials, David Lammy is expected to address the controversy on Tuesday and outline the next steps in the government’s plan to overhaul the justice system. The backlog at the Crown Court stands at almost 80,000 cases, but the justice secretary has [...]
Don’t overlook UK stocks in 2026 December 1, 2025 The UK stock market has long been shunned by retail investors, as the AI boom, inflation woes and gloomy economic conditions spark the search for greater returns in overseas markets, particularly the US. While this narrative has held back many investors from tapping into the UK, the London index has bounced back in 2025, with [...]
OBR chair Richard Hughes resigns after leak ‘inflicted heavy damage’ on watchdog December 1, 2025 The chair of the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) Richard Hughes has resigned after a report provided a damning assessment of management at the top of the fiscal watchdog after it leaked its fiscal report before the Budget. Hughes, who has faced pressure from the government since the leak, said he was taking full responsibility [...]
Banks gear up for boost with loosening of capital rules December 1, 2025 UK banks are gearing up to supercharge the government’s growth agenda with reforms to lenders’ capital requirements set to unlock billions of free cash. The Bank of England is set to take the chop to rules around capital requirements, as part of a “fresh up” of rules in a six-month review to be published on [...]
UK and US agree to zero tariff deal on pharmaceuticals December 1, 2025 The government has agreed to a major deal with Washington that will see the UK become the only country to secure zero import tariffs on pharmaceutical products into the US for at least three years. The deal follows months of negotiations between the government and the Trump administration, after the June trade deal left the [...]
Tulip Siddiq rejects ‘kangaroo court’ conviction December 1, 2025 Former City minister Tulip Siddiq has complained of living in a “Kafkaesque nightmare” after she was handed a two-year jail sentence in a Bangladeshi trial she branded a “kangaroo court”. In a ruling on Monday, a judge in Bangladesh found the Labour MP for Hampstead and Highgate guilty of abusing the “special influence” she had [...]
Zipcar UK to shut operations ahead of new London EV Congestion Charge December 1, 2025 Zipcar has reached the end of the road in the UK after its US owner pulled the plug on operations in the run up to the introduction of fresh London Congestion Charges for electric vehicles. The car hire business has begun a formal consultation with employees in the UK and will stop taking new bookings [...]
Sheffield Wednesday: Chansiri gets three-year ban as tuna tycoon canned December 1, 2025 Sheffield Wednesday’s former owner Dejphon Chansiri has been banned from football for three years for his role in the club’s ongoing financial crisis. Wednesday, one of England’s most historic clubs, are in administration and look destined for relegation to the third tier after a further six-point deduction today left them 23 points adrift at the [...]
Windfall taxes: Major North Sea jobs cuts revealed by oil and gas giant December 1, 2025 Around 100 offshore jobs are set to be cut by oil and gas firm Harbour Energy amid pressure from UK windfall taxes. The company, which is the UK’s largest oil and gas producer, has announced the proposed job losses as part of a review into its operations in this country. In a statement, managing director [...]