Northern Powerhouse Rail has more to do with votes than growth January 22, 2026 With Northern Powerhouse Rail now given the green light, the North-South divide now benefits the North over London, writes James Ford I have long thought that the North-South divide was far more cultural than economic. One end of the country prefers gravy on their chips and chooses to eat them watching Coronation Street whilst the [...]
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 [...]
Make your lunch break count: free learning and culture in the City January 21, 2026 Setting a New Year’s resolution is one of those time-honoured traditions. Indeed, it’s a ritual that can be traced some 4,000 years to the ancient Babylonian times, with citizens celebrating the New Year during a 12-day festival called Akitu. One common New Year’s resolution was the return of borrowed farm equipment. While our goals may [...]
Kings Cross spinout district could create 20,000 new jobs January 20, 2026 The innovation district around Kings Cross and Euston has the potential to grow into the UK's version of Kendall Square, writes Geraint Rees.
House affordability offers first time buyers boost but Londoners lag behind January 20, 2026 Improved house affordability has sparked an uptick in first time buyer activity over the last year, but those on lower incomes remain shut out of the housing market. Affordability constraints eased slightly, due to declining mortgage rates and wage growth surpassing house price growth, bolstering buyer demand, particularly among those taking the first step onto [...]
Why The Ivy is a bastion of hope and quality during a bleak month January 19, 2026 The start of the year is an especially tough time for hospitality as people watch the pounds when it comes to both their wallets and weight. This kind of abstinence is even more of a travesty in London, a city packed with the most incredible restaurants, with a rich history of social eating and drinking. [...]
Ministers to change UK merger rules in bid to speed up deals January 18, 2026 Whitehall is preparing a fundamental reset of the UK’s merger control regime, as ministers seek to accelerate deal-making and strip back some red tape for businesses. The Department for Business and Trade is expected to outline plans this week that would significantly change how the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) reviews takeovers and sector-wide competition [...]
Tories will become irrelevant if they keep losing in London January 16, 2026 If the Conservative party can no longer rely on the votes of the Yuppies of today, it will have to become a very different beast to have any chance of continued relevance, says John Oxley The year might have only just begun, but already London’s big political battle is on the horizon. May will see [...]
London’s ‘record low confidence’ blamed on Labour workers’ rights bill January 16, 2026 London is suffering from record low business confidence due to Labour government’s Employment Rights Bill, an industry group has warned. The London Chamber of Commerce and Industry said it recorded the lowest ever level of business confidence in its quarterly economic survey of 500 business chiefs across the capital. The group warned that the “punitive” [...]
London hosts over half of Britain’s fastest growing tech January 16, 2026 Over half of Britain’s fastest-growing private tech firms are based in London, according to a new ranking by The Sunday Times, despite growing concern over the UK’s political and economic support of the sector. The list of Britain’s 100 fastest-growing tech firms shows that 57 of the 100 companies on the list are headquartered in [...]