Old hands vs new kids on the block: Investment platforms battle for customers January 28, 2026 Last year marked a significant change in attitudes towards retail investing in the UK, after the Treasury made tearing consumers away from the safety of their cash savings a firm ambition. In the government’s bid to revitalise London’s flagship index, Rachel Reeves slashed the cash ISA allowance from £20,000 to £12,000, introduced a three year [...]
£300m tax relief for pubs ‘a sticking plaster’ January 27, 2026 Chancellor Rachel Reeves has unveiled a £300m package to support to pubs in their battle against rocketing business rates after widespread backlash to Budget announcements, representing yet another government U-turn on tax plans. The Treasury has announced it will give pubs and music venues a 15 per cent discount on business rates bills from April [...]
Nearly 600 jobs to go as Revolution Bars rescue deal shuts over 20 sites January 27, 2026 Nearly 600 jobs are set to be wiped out after a last-minute rescue deal to acquire the group behind Revolution Bars will see more than 20 sites closed with immediate effect. Administrators for Revel Collective, the AIM-listed hospitality group which also owns the Peach pubs chain, said two separate deals had been reached to sell [...]
Hundreds of hospitality firms close as cost pressures take toll January 26, 2026 The “relentless” increase in operating costs put hospitality businesses under increasing pressure in the final quarter of last year, industry figures suggest. According to consumer intelligence firm NIQ, there were 382 fewer licensed premises at the end of December than there were three months prior, equivalent to four closures per day. Casual dining sites and [...]
Private sector bounces back but Reeves leaves hospitality reeling January 23, 2026 The UK’s private sector expanded at the fastest rate in nearly two years in the first month of 2026 but the reeling hospitality sector was still feeling the crunch from Labour policy. The latest Flash Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) from S&P Global showed a major uptick in the all-important services sector, which is often seen [...]
UK tax regime is forcing pubs to raise pint prices January 23, 2026 Pubs do not want to raise prices, but endless tax pressures are giving them little other choice, writes Emma McClarkin.
Only pubs set to benefit from business rates U-turn as hoteliers barred January 21, 2026 Pubs will be the only businesses to benefit from the government’s business rates U-turn as other hospitality firms will be shut out from tax relief, Rachel Reeves has hinted. The Chancellor told reporters at Davos that pubs face a different situation to the rest of the sector, likely meaning hotels and other hospitality businesses will [...]
Wetherspoon shares sink after business rates knock profit January 21, 2026 Wetherspoon shares slumped on Wednesday after the pub giant laid bare the scale of the financial hit from November’s tax-raising Budget. The FTSE 250 member said cost rises across energy, wages, repairs and business rates had put up costs by a staggering £45m in the 25 weeks to mid-January. That would imply a cost rise [...]
Starmer in dire straits as British voters pessimistic on almost every issue January 15, 2026 Leaders rarely fail because of a single decision. Starmer's problem is that voters are pessimistic on almost every major measure.
‘We’re turning the country around’: U-turns put pressure on defiant Starmer January 14, 2026 Keir Starmer attempted to justify a string of policy U-turns on everything from business rates to the mandatory digital ID, claiming the Labour government was “turning the country around”. In an awkward Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, opposition leader Kemi Badenoch grilled Starmer on recent U-turns, which prove tricky for MPs and strategists to explain [...]