Billionaire Labour backer says ‘business unfriendly’ Budget hit growth December 12, 2025 A billionaire backer of the Labour party has said the government’s “business unfriendly” policies have hit economic growth following another bleak release of data. John Caudwell, the founder of Phones 4u, said Labour “really need to change the tune of what they’re doing” to kickstart growth and appeal to businesses. It follows the latest release [...]
Natwest chief: UK ‘closer to start than finish line’ on regulation mission December 2, 2025 The government’s mission to overhaul regulation still has a long distance to go, the boss of Natwest has said, as he warned of “trade-offs” in the pursuit of cutting red tape. Paul Thwaite, the chief executive of Natwest, praised the government and the City watchdog in edging forward in its regulation mission, referencing recent changes [...]
Banks gear up for boost with loosening of capital rules December 1, 2025 UK banks are gearing up to supercharge the government’s growth agenda with reforms to lenders’ capital requirements set to unlock billions of free cash. The Bank of England is set to take the chop to rules around capital requirements, as part of a “fresh up” of rules in a six-month review to be published on [...]
Councils face exodus of planners in threat to housebuilding goals November 18, 2025 One in five UK planners intends to leave the field or retire by 2028, in another significant threat to the government’s housebuilding target, according to new data. Nearly two-thirds of planners said their teams lacked the capacity to meet demand, according to the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI). The RTPI has warned that the exodus [...]
Business activity rebounds but Budget nerves could damage growth November 16, 2025 UK private sector activity marked its largest monthly rise of the year in October, but momentum could be shattered by increasing Budget speculation. According to the latest business trends report from accountancy firm BDO, which measures businesses turnover and economic activity, output rose to 97.49 past month, up from 96.25 in September. This marked the [...]
Landlords have just under six months to prepare for the Renters’ Right Bill November 13, 2025 The government has set a date for the commencement of the Renters’ Rights Bill, with landlords given just under six months to prepare for the wide-ranging changes. The bill, which will remove so-called no-fault evictions, strengthen tenant protections and digitalise the sector, promises to shake up the market for both landlords and tenants – with [...]
Independent review to probe ‘crisis of opportunity’ in youth inactivity November 9, 2025 An independent review into the rising numbers of young people not in work or study has been announced by Pat McFadden as he warned of a “crisis of opportunity” posed by youth inactivity. The investigation, to be led by former Labour health secretary Alan Milburn, will shape reforms to health and welfare, with a particular [...]
Nandy insists Government takes promises ‘very seriously’ despite income tax U-turn November 9, 2025 Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has insisted the Government takes its promises “very, very seriously” despite a probable major manifesto U-turn on income tax. The Labour Government told the UK’s fiscal watchdog that it would break its manifesto commitment and raise income tax in the upcoming budget late last week. Ahead of the 2024 election, Labour [...]
Abramovich hits out at UK government over frozen £2.3bn Chelsea proceeds November 5, 2025 Former Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has criticised the government over moves that have “paralysed” his £2.3bn windfall from the sale of the Premier League club. Following the invasion of Ukraine, the Russian billionaire sold the Stamford Bridge club to a consortium fronted by American Todd Boehly, with the proceeds placed in a frozen bank account [...]
Four in 10 Londoners ‘ready to quit capital’ over housing costs November 5, 2025 Nearly half of the capital’s 25-45 year olds are ready to leave over unsustainably expensive housing, according to a new study. In fact, two in three are regularly borrowing money to pay housing costs, most commonly turning to credit cards, payday loans and family support, according to a new report from Pocket Living. “The pressures [...]