Tories consult senior barrister over ‘outrageous’ Wandsworth tax hike September 18, 2026 Kemi Badenoch has said the Conservative party has consulted a senior barrister to challenge the government over local funding cuts, following the recent controversy over looming tax hikes at Wandsworth Council. Wandsworth Council, which is Tory-run, has recently announced that taxes will rise by 94 per cent for ‘band D’ residents, resulting in taxpayers having [...]
Addison Lee founder defeated in £20m non-dom tax dispute September 18, 2026 The founder of premium minicab firm Addison Lee has failed to overturn a £20.5m tax bill from HMRC after arguing that he should be treated as a non-dom in spite of having lived in England for most of his life. Sir John Griffin, aged 84, who was born in England in 1942 to Irish parents [...]
China’s EV brands are all over sport in the west. Why? September 18, 2026 Electric vehicle brands from China are snapping up sport sponsorship opportunities across the west. Matt Hardy asks why. The automotive sector has long had an association with sports sponsorships: think the century-old deal between Ford and AFL side the Geelong Cats, or Volkswagen’s enduring patronage of Bundesliga side Wolfsburg, originally a works team from its [...]
Putney Pusher suspect’s sisters slam Met: ‘Our brother was innocent’ September 18, 2026 The sisters of the millionaire banker accused of being the ‘Putney pusher’, have insisted upon his innocence while hitting out at the Metropolitan Police’s handling of the investigation. Nicholas Brandram’s sisters, Alexia Hicks and Sophie Voelcker, accused the Met of being “negligent and reckless” during their investigation. The former British Army officer took his own [...]
Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur criticised for unlicensed gambling deals September 18, 2026 Clubs including Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur have been criticised for doing deals with unlicensed gambling firms as the government continues a consultation on banning such organisations from sponsoring sport. Chelsea and Spurs are two of 11 Premier League clubs which hold agreements with betting companies not licensed in the UK. Others include Aston Villa and [...]
Explainer: What on Earth has the Bank of England done with its bond sale programme? September 18, 2026 The Bank of England chose to hold interest rates at 3.75 per cent on Thursday. But its unexpected overhaul of quantitative tightening could be far more consequential, says Ali Lyon. On days when the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee decides the future of interest rates, that choice – and the thinking that goes into [...]
Nationalise Thames Water and block private rescue deal, MPs tell Burnham September 18, 2026 Andy Burnham and his government are facing increasing pressure to take control of Thames Water after a group of MPs warned a rescue deal led by its creditors should be rejected. A group of the stricken utility’s lenders, known as London & Valley Water, is vying to seize control of the company in a £10bn [...]
Investec’s South Africa surge offsets cooling UK performance September 18, 2026 Investec doubled down on its full-year targets today after a surge in activity in South Africa helped offset a slump in the UK. The FTSE 100 lender projected earnings per share to land between 41.7p to 43.3p, a three per cent to seven per cent rise from the prior year. The growth projection was largely [...]
Nestlé vows to protect Russian operations despite Putin takeover September 18, 2026 Nestlé has vowed to protect its Russian business after Vladimir Putin placed the food giant’s operations in the country under external administration. The Swiss maker of Nescafé and Purina said on Friday it was assessing its options after a presidential decree handed control of Nestlé Russia and Nestlé Kuban to Russian firm L.E.V. Management. “Nestlé [...]
British retail sales defy forecasts with surprise August rise September 18, 2026 UK retail sales unexpectedly rose in August, defying forecasts of a decline. Despite renewed pressure from higher fuel prices, hot weather drove a strong rebound in both online shopping and department store sales. Economists had expected sales to fall 0.2 per cent but sales volumes rose 0.5 per cent during the month, reversing a 0.5 [...]