Reeves rent freeze: How did Chancellor turn to a Mamdani-style policy controversy? Property Reports of plans in Downing Street for a rent freeze came as a shock after a housing minister said Labour opposes the policy. Felix Armstrong explores why rent controls stoke so much controversy, from New York to Sweden. Rumours that Rachel Reeves is considering slapping a freeze on private rents shocked the property market on [...]
‘Entirely avoidable’: Build-to-rent housebuilding slows as London planning wait doubles Property The construction of build-to-rent homes in Britain is in danger of grinding to a halt as the planning wait for London homes has almost doubled in this decade. The number of build-to-rent homes under construction has fallen for the ninth consecutive quarter, according to data shared exclusively with City AM. The government has pledged to [...]
Bribing firms to hire us is an insult to young workers like me Opinion The government’s plans to subsidise companies to hire young workers is a sticking plaster over the self-inflicted wound that is youth unemployment, says Oliver Dean Pat McFadden, the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, recently announced that the government will launch a £1bn scheme to shift young people away from unemployment and welfare and [...]
Labour talked big, but London housing starts are worst since WW2 January 13, 2026 Labour may have talked big on housing and planning reform, but the figures don't lie, writes Emma Revell.
Labour ‘quietly hammering’ workers as pensioners benefit, think tank warns January 2, 2026 The Labour government is “quietly hammering” workers following the Autumn Budget’s stealth tax raid while pensioners and those on benefits are set to enjoy a jump in income, a think tank has said. In the November Budget, Rachel Reeves extended the freeze on income tax thresholds until 2031 – a move which is viewed as [...]
‘Fiscal rules’ have made Budgets a farce November 26, 2025 Chancellors increasingly make policy not on economic grounds, but to satisfy the letter of their own self-imposed fiscal rules, writes Ayushma Maharjan.
Reform’s lessons from the Lib Dems in what not to do September 24, 2025 There’s more to the Lib Dems than Ed Davey’s ridiculous stunts. If Nigel Farage wants to turn his polling lead into lasting power he would do well to learn from their effective ground game – as well as their mistakes, says Emma Revell Reform UK is riding so high at the moment, pollsters might have [...]
Give business a voice to get back to growth July 15, 2025 The energy, ambition and innovative new ideas we need to turn Britain around is out there, it just needs to make itself heard, says Emma Revell Last year I wrote – on these very pages – that “[o]ne of the biggest hurdles we face as a country is a fundamental misunderstanding between the people who [...]
Welfare, debt and the NHS: Our public finances are on the road to ruin June 17, 2025 Portugal is a fine country with plenty going for it, as an increasing number of Brits seem to be discovering. Just under 50,000 people moved there from the UK in 2023/34, up from 45,000 the previous year. These expats may or may not be aware that the country they’ve moved to (well-functioning, democratic, competitive and [...]
‘Build baby build’: Break infrastructure ‘inertia’ to boost growth, report urges October 18, 2024 Ministers have been urged to break Britain’s infrastructure “inertia” in a bid to turbocharge the planning system and ramp up growth, according to a think tank report. Streamlining the consent process, empowering key decisions in the national interest, fixing ambiguous laws, and updating policy documents would all contribute to the UK’s ability to build infrastructure [...]