Skip to content
City AM
Main navigation
Download free app
  • News
    • News
      • Latest Business News
      • Economics
      • Politics
      • Tech
      • Banking
      • FTSE 100 Live
      • Retail
      • Insurance
      • Legal
      • Property
      • Transport
      • Markets
    • From our partners
      • AON
      • Bayes Business School
      • City of London BIDs
      • Central London Alliance CIC
      • Destination City
      • Halkin
      • Olympia
      • Inside Saudi
      • Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
      • Santander X
      • YEAR SIX Dividend
    • Featured

      PureGym bulks up with £235m Swiss expansion

      Woman squatting with a barbell and green PureGym weight plates in a modern gym facility

      Submit a story

      Tell us your story.

      Submit
  • Opinion
  • Sport
    • Latest Sports News
      • Sport
      • Sport Business
      • The Punter
    • From our partners
      • The Morning Briefing: SBS x City AM
      • Aramco Team Series
      • LIV Golf
    • Featured

      Football regulator’s reputation rests on its handling of Manchester City

      Man holding a cheats banner with GUILTY 114 text, Liverpool FC merchandise in background

      Submit a story

      Tell us your story.

      Submit
  • Life&Style
    • Life&Style
      • Life&Style
      • Toast the City Awards
      • The Magazine
      • Travel
      • Culture
      • Motoring
      • Wellness
      • City AM Puzzles
      • The RED BULLETiN
      • Do it with Shared Ownership
      • Media Speak Hub
    • Featured

      The Cherry Orchard – Harold Pinter Theatre: Kristin Scott Thomas is luminous

      Smiling actresses from The Cherry Orchard at Harold Pinter Theatre, one in denim, one in white blouse and red beads.

      Submit a story

      Tell us your story.

      Submit
  • Investec
  • Events
  • Pension Report
  • Newsletters
  • Latest Paper

JW Lees

  • Bosses warn of family firm firesale as inheritance tax crackdown kicks in

    Tax

    The government’s contentious inheritance tax crackdown on family firms will lead to the break-up of thousands of beloved British businesses and is already stifling investment, a group of influential bosses have warned. The Treasury’s plans to end a decades-old carve out from death duty for family-run firms came into force on Monday, meaning offspring of [...]

    The Treasury
  • ‘This is Keir Starmer’s Poll Tax’: Labour warned inheritance tax protests won’t stop

    Business

    The Labour government’s reforms to farmers’ inheritance tax announced in the Autumn Budget has been branded as “Keir Starmer’s Poll Tax”. William Lees-Jones, who owns and runs Manchester-based JW Lees, which has produced real ale since 1828, added that the Prime Minister is “losing the argument and feeling rattled”. The pubs boss has liked the policy, which [...]

    Farmers staged a protest in London on 10 February over the proposed inheritance tax reforms. (Photo by Alishia Abodunde/Getty Images)
  • Pubs boss: ‘We cannot allow the government to destroy family companies’

    Business

    The boss of a seventh-generation pub and brewing giant has argued that “we cannot allow the government to destroy family companies” as they are the “bedrock of the UK economy”. In a post on LinkedIn William Lees-Jones, who owns and runs Manchester-based JW Lees, which has produced real ale since 1828, reiterated his opposition to the changes [...]

    The boss of JW Lees, a seventh-generation pubs and brewing giant, has warned the government "cannot be allowed to destroy" family companies. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
  • Budget could destroy seventh-generation pub giant, warns boss

    November 18, 2024

    The changes announced in the Budget represent an ‘existential threat’ to the future of a seventh-generation pub and brewing giant, its owner has warned. William Lees-Jones, who owns and runs Manchester-based JW Lees, which has produced real ale since 1828, has warned he is now “facing the very real prospect that we will never be able to [...]

Trending Articles

  • Tottenham Hotspur owed money after Big Zuu water brand Drip is liquidated with £9m debts

  • Anthropic offers £145k for London personal assistant amid AI agent boom

  • Manchester City need a nine-year sanction, says architect of Premier League

  • As it happened: FTSE 100 loses early gains as oil prices stay high

  • Bank of England targeted in inflation installation stunt

Subscribe

Subscribe to the City AM newsletter to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.

Subscribe
  • Got a story?
  • About City AM
  • Careers
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Privacy settings
  • News
  • Markets & Economics
  • Politics
  • Opinion
  • Life&Style
  • Personal Finance
  • City AM Events
  • City Winners
  • The Punter
  • Casino
  • City AM Puzzles

Follow us for breaking news and latest updates

  • Facebook
  • X
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Newsletters
  • Advertising
  • About
  • Licensing
Copyright 2026 City AM Limited