‘Moron premium’ – Westminster turmoil has ‘cost taxpayers £35bn’ since 2022 July 28, 2026 Secretive plotters and vengeful strategists in Westminster have cost taxpayers around £35bn since 2020, new research by one of the world’s top insurance companies has found. In a study into the costs of political fragility facing European governments, researchers at Allianz Trade found that the UK government continued to pay a “distinct political premium” due [...]
Volkswagen California 2026 review: plenty of room at the Hotel California July 24, 2026 Britain’s best-selling vehicle so far in 2026 is the Ford Puma. Visit the south coast in holiday season, though, and you’d swear the Volkswagen California occupies that top spot. Whether trapped in tourist traffic, parked beside the beach or looking cool on a campsite, these things are everywhere. Volkswagen campers have enjoyed cult status since [...]
Housebuilder hits a wall: How did Vistry become the UK’s most shorted stock? July 24, 2026 Vistry, the “nation’s favourite housebuilder,” has become the UK’s most shorted stock. From a shift to a bold new model to hopes that it can fuel Burnham’s housing vision, Felix Armstrong unpicks the firm’s recent history Back in 2024, Vistry boss Greg Fitzgerald was brimming with optimism. The housebuilder’s ambitious switch from a private market [...]
Why even gilts are outperforming the once unstoppable Magnificent 7 this year July 8, 2026 Plagued by sticky inflation and spendthrift politicians, the UK government’s bonds have spent years as an unloved asset class. But six months into 2026 and they have, so far, outperformed the Magnificent 7. Ali Lyon examines what has gone wrong for the so-called hyperscalers even as AI hype is greater than ever. Since the Bank [...]
The seven growth tests every Budget must pass July 8, 2026 The next Budget will inevitably contain difficult fiscal choices. But before any measure is announced, ministers should be required to answer a far simpler question: What business behaviour is this designed to change, says David Bharier When Rachel Reeves stood at the despatch box on 30 October 2024 to deliver her first Budget, an employer [...]
Andy Burnham will be ‘in hock’ to the bond markets whether he likes it or not June 24, 2026 With the highest gilt yields in the G7, more borrowing is no longer an option for the next Prime Minister. That leaves the traditional options: raise taxes, cut spending or embark on more ambitious supply-side reforms in areas such as planning, says Daniel Mahoney Governments needing money usually have three options: tax more, spend less, [...]
What if Andy Burnham had become Labour leader in 2015? June 24, 2026 On his third try, Andy Burnham looks all but certain to become Labour leader. But what if he had taken the reins of the party eleven years earlier? Matt Kenyon imagines an alternative timeline… 2015 It’s a world that looks a lot like our own. There’s just one, seemingly minor, difference: A cluster of well-meaning [...]
Five graphs that reveal Burnham’s fiscal headache June 23, 2026 Andy Burnham was not shy with his spending pledges in the run up to victory in Makerfield last week. At various points, the former Manchester Mayor has pledged his party will nationalise water companies, including Thames Water; “stick with” the Waspi women, signalling a potential multi-billion pound payout to aggrieved pensioners; slash rail fares; kick [...]
Andy Burnham ducks ‘fiscal rules exam’ despite pledge to stick to them June 6, 2026 Andy Burnham refused to explain Labour’s fiscal rules on Friday, despite insisting he would stick to them if he entered Downing Street, raising questions over the economic strategy underpinning his growing leadership bid. The Greater Manchester Mayor, who has spent months positioning himself as Labour’s most prominent alternative voice, was challenged to explain the government’s [...]
Mortgage approvals jump to 15-month high despite Iran war chaos June 2, 2026 Mortgage approvals made a surprise jump to a 15-month high in April, despite continued signs that the economic chaos caused by the Iran war is shaking confidence in the property market. Net mortgage approvals jumped three per cent to 65,900 in April, above the six-month average of around 63,100, according to Bank of England data. [...]