Ban non-compete clauses to ‘boost Britain’s fastest growing firms’ September 22, 2026 Rising hiring costs and difficulties recruiting talent are making it harder for Britain’s most promising companies to grow, with three quarters saying they could create at least 10 per cent more jobs if barriers to expansion were removed. New research from Enterprise Britain found the cost of employing staff has become one of the main [...]
Healey urged to ‘restore faith’ by ending personal allowance freeze in Budget September 16, 2026 UK savers are demanding chancellor John Healey end the freeze on the personal allowance in his maiden Autumn Budget, as more Brits get dragged into higher tax bands. A recent poll showed nearly 70 per cent of taxpayers want Healey to unfreeze the personal allowance, with critics arguing it has forced workers and pensioners into [...]
JP Morgan boss Jamie Dimon to meet Chancellor John Healey ahead of Budget September 9, 2026 JP Morgan boss Jamie Dimon is set to meet John Healey today ahead of the new Chancellor’s first Budget, City AM understands. The American banker – regarded as one of the most influential figures in global finance – is due to meet Healey in London for the first time following a phone call exchange last [...]
Business confidence climbs on consumer spending power August 28, 2026 Business confidence has risen to its highest level since March, as resilient consumers shrug off the impact of the Iran war and Budget-related speculation is kept to a minimum. According to the Lloyds Business Barometer, confidence among British firms rose four points in August to 53 per cent, the highest reading since the outbreak of [...]
A beginner’s guide to appeasing the bond market – and why it matters July 24, 2026 Britain’s enormous debt pile means the bond market now has the power to decide the fate of a government. Ali Lyon spoke to gilt investors to see how our new Chancellor can keep them happy. When John Healey was last in the Treasury, the world was a very different place. Britain’s economy was growing at [...]
Burnham’s encounter with political and economic reality will be brutal when it comes July 7, 2026 This is turning out to be a very strange summer indeed, and I’m not referring to the football. This week, a Prime Minister with no power will attend the NATO summit in Ankara and next week, a Chancellor with just days left in the job will tell a City crowd at the Mansion House banquet [...]
Number of private school pupils plummets after Labour’s VAT hike on fees June 3, 2026 Private school pupil numbers have plummeted by 30,000, down nearly 7 per cent in some year groups, since Labour introduced VAT on fees. As of 1 January 2025, private school fees in the UK, including tuition and boarding, are subject to 20 per cent VAT, a change announced by Chancellor Rachel Reeves in her 2024 [...]
Moving abroad won’t save you from the British tax man May 29, 2026 Brits have become ensnared in tax traps following an upheaval of the system by Chancellor Rachel Reeves in the past two Autumn Budgets. UK households have been slammed by a number of shake-ups, including an extended freeze of the income tax thresholds, a hike to dividend tax and a new ‘mansion tax’ on properties valued [...]
Housebuilders on hook for mansion tax if they fail to sell property after a year May 20, 2026 Property developers will be forced to pay the Labour’s new mansion tax if they take more than a year to offload newly built luxury homes, raising fresh fears that housebuilders will be further disincentivised from building homes in the capital. As part of plans included in a Treasury consultation document, housing developers will be liable [...]
Dyson, JCB and Global Brands: The firms facing a break-up after Labour’s tax grab April 16, 2026 The government’s inheritance tax crackdown has sparked a wave of warnings from entrepreneurs. We list some of the biggest names to have spoken out in opposition to the changes. To most avid followers of current affairs, the Autumn Budget of 2024 will feel like a lifetime ago. Since then, Donald Trump has been elected to [...]