EU banking rules could ‘choke investment’ from booming City January 14, 2026 The European Union threatens derailing its economic growth through changes to banking regulation after London beefed up its lending capacity following a Brexit boom. The 27-state bloc is set to bring in new legislation which will effectively ban non-EU banks from providing core banking services – such as lending and taking deposits – without establishing [...]
Former OBR chair takes aim at Rachel Reeves’ fiscal rules January 13, 2026 The former chair of the Office for Budget Responsibility has taken aim at Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ fiscal rules, suggesting they prevent UK public finances from building enough “resilience”. In his first public appearance since his resignation last month due to the leaked Budget, Richard Hughes said the current fiscal rules were “among the loosest” the [...]
Vast majority of Brits expect more damaging tax hikes in 2026 January 13, 2026 Nearly four in five Brits are bracing themselves for further tax rises this year, with voters fearing that more money going into government coffers will damage growth. Keir Starmer has kicked off the year with pitches on improving the cost of living for millions of people across the country. Extra welfare payments for some families [...]
Public officials ‘not truthful’ about ‘fantasy’ net zero costs January 13, 2026 Net zero is set to cost the UK economy billions of pounds more than public officials estimate, a new report has suggested, raising questions over the supposed savings to be made from the energy transition for households and businesses. A new paper published by the Institute of Economic Affairs, a free market think tank, has [...]
VAT-free shopping debacle has sent tourists packing January 13, 2026 Five years on from the demise of VAT-free shopping, retail and hospitality chiefs say the impact is still causing pain as the industry seeks change, writes Joanna Hodgson Five years ago this month a change came in that might, on the surface , have prompted the average British shopper to get their smallest violins out: [...]
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.
Nadhim Zahawi defects to Reform as polling lead extended January 12, 2026 Former Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi has defected to Reform UK as fresh polling has shown the party extending its lead over Labour and the Tories. Zahawi, a former ally of Boris Johnson who served as Chancellor for a matter of months, announced his high-profile defection in a press conference in Westminster on Monday. Along with new [...]
Labour can’t afford to stick with Starmer much longer January 12, 2026 When leaders lose control of events, they rarely recover it. The final blow is usually banal. It could be a ministerial resignation, a bacon sandwich style gaffe, or a symbolic vote defeat, but it is coming, says Helen Thomas A curious myth has taken hold at Westminster that Keir Starmer remains in post because removing [...]
No growth expected for November due to late Budget January 12, 2026 New GDP figures this week will show zero growth in the UK economy as weeks of uncertainty around the Budget weighed down on activity in November, according to economists. A Bloomberg poll of economists predicted the Office for National Statistics (ONS) to write in zero GDP growth in the second last month of the year. [...]
Jobseeker numbers rise ‘sharply’ in labour market setback January 12, 2026 The number of jobseekers rose “sharply” in December alongside a slump in demand for new hires, analysis has shown, posing a threat to the future of the UK labour market. Analysis of S&P Global’s purchasing managers’ index (PMI) indicated the jobs market weakened further at the end of last year, undermining hopes of a recovery [...]