‘Nothing can stop it’ – The state expands like the horror film Blob October 15, 2026 The 1958 classic horror film The Blob scored mixed reviews on its release, with critics lamenting the poor acting and weak dialogue. Posters for the movie warned that the alien blob “devours everything in its path” and “nothing can stop it” – which is why, half a century later, Michael Gove resurrected and popularised the [...]
On this day: Germany introduces the Rentenmark to curb hyperinflation October 15, 2026 On this day, 15 October 1923, Germany introduced the Rentenmark to curb hyperinflation, and it worked. Eliot Wilson tells us more.
Retailers back on alert after new wave of cyber attacks October 15, 2026 When Asos customers were sent a cryptically-worded push notification on Tuesday last week, some shoppers thought they were being hawked the fast fashion retailer’s new Christmas collection. One thought the alert was “some crappy marketing scheme to get me to check the app and to view their snowflake collection,” they wrote on X. The notification [...]
London listings fall to lowest levels since 2023 October 15, 2026 London listings fell to the lowest levels seen since 2023, recording just one public offering in the third quarter as the IPO drought continues. The quarter’s sole transaction was the AIM listing of 1947 Oil & Gas plc, which raised just £29.8m, marking it as the quietest period since the fourth quarter of 2023 where [...]
Ask the expert: Should I retire when I still have a mortgage? October 15, 2026 Mortgage worries overriding retirement excitement? Marianna Hunt is back to take a look over whether retiring while still owing money on your mortgage is a bad idea. I want to retire at 55, which is in five years’ time. However, I still have nine years of repayments on my mortgage. I think I could just [...]
Healey told to cut employment taxes and energy bills to boost business October 15, 2026 Britain’s biggest business lobby group has urged John Healey to cut employment taxes and energy bills in his first Budget, warning that further tax rises risk choking off investment and jobs. The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) called on the Chancellor to give firms “breathing space” at the Budget on 28 October, as businesses grapple [...]
Tories to warn Burnham on ‘bending to left’ on bank tax raid October 14, 2026 Kemi Badenoch is expected to fire a bank tax warning shot to the Labour government on Thursday during a visit to Edinburgh. The Conservatives will warn Andy Burnham against “bending the knee to left-wing backbenchers and trade union paymasters,” as the pre-Budget debate heats up. It follows the banking sector swinging into defence mode ahead [...]
Benefits and pensions for foreign nationals ‘cost £23bn’ October 14, 2026 Spending on benefits and pensions for foreign nationals totalled about £23bn in 2025, according to a leading think tank, amid calls for a rethink on the impcat of immigration and the welfare system. The Centre for Social Justice estimated that the UK government spent about £23bn on benefits, pensions and child-related support for non-British nationals [...]
Khan climbdown: Palantir settles £50m Met row after fears of ‘unlawful’ bias October 14, 2026 Palantir has settled its High Court battle with Sadiq Khan’s policing office over a blocked £50m Metropolitan Police contract, following concerns that the decision had been unlawfully influenced by the US tech giant’s values and ethics. City AM understands the company pursued legal action not only to challenge the decision, but also to make sure [...]
Banks of England chief economist ‘sceptical’ of markets’ interest rate expectations October 14, 2026 The Bank of England is unlikely to vote for the four interest-rate hikes forecast by financial markets, according to its chief economist, who added the central bank should have raised rates in the early stages of the Iran war. Huw Pill, who has the most hawkish track record on the Monetary Policy Committee, played down [...]