A look back at the highs and lows of politics in 2024 December 20, 2024 With elections in the UK and US in 2024, a new government, and a fresh opposition leader, watchers of Westminster and elsewhere have had a busy year in politics. At City AM we’ve followed every twist and turn as Labour secured an election victory in July, Donald Trump pulled off a White House comeback and [...]
Property tycoon Nick Candy defects to Reform from Conservatives December 10, 2024 Property tycoon Nick Candy has defected from the Conservatives to Reform UK in a boost for the insurgent party. The former Tory donor, who is married to pop star and ex-Neighbours actor Holly Valance, told The Sun that there has been “too many broken promises and a complete breach of trust with the wealth creators [...]
Investors want to see ‘ambition’ from UK on climate change, Pinchbeck says December 8, 2024 Private investors are keen to see “ambition” from the UK government on climate change, the head of an influential emissions body has warned politicians. Emma Pinchbeck, chief executive of the Climate Change Committee, which advises the government on emissions targets, stressed that the private sector “likes a bit of ambition”. The former Energy UK CEO [...]
Voters ‘angry’ and impatient’, Rayner admits, amid fall in Labour support December 8, 2024 Voters are angry and impatient for change, Angela Rayner has admitted, amid a fall in support for Labour in the polls and a rise for Reform UK. The deputy Prime Minister said she understood the mood of the country after what she called several “significant challenges” faced by the government in its first months in [...]
Shock poll puts Reform UK ahead of Labour for first time, as Tories surge December 5, 2024 A new poll has put Reform UK one point ahead of the Labour Party for the first time. Research by pollsters at FindOutNow put Nigel Farage’s party on 24 per cent, one point above Labour on 23 per cent. While Kemi Badenoch’s Conservative Party came higher than both, at 26 per cent, with the Lib [...]
Could Elon Musk and Nigel Farage upend British politics? December 5, 2024 Labour’s majority is enormous, but it only gives us the appearance of stability. All the evidence suggests their support is broad but shallow and their victory was as much a question of good luck and good timing as it was a literal vote of support for Labour’s policies. The Tory party is basically neck and [...]
Hedge fund managers could buy land, MPs told, as Tories fail to scrap ‘farm tax’ December 4, 2024 Hedge fund managers could buy up farmland if UK farmers sell up to avoid the inheritance levy, MPs were told, as the Tories brought a vote on the so-called ‘family farms tax’. Conservative MPs used an opposition day debate on Wednesday to bring a Commons vote on Labour’s Budget measure which would see farmers pay [...]
‘Horrible and scandalous’: Reform UK’s Ben Habib under attack over £3m fundraise September 9, 2024 Ben Habib’s property investment outfit has come under attack from an activist shareholder over a fundraise which could hand the former Reform UK deputy leader and its chairman greater sway over the company. First Property, run by chief executive Habib, told the market last week it would launch an open offer to raise £2.96m through [...]
The Tories can come back stronger, but only if they stop chasing Reform August 7, 2024 Reform’s surge was a consequence of Tory failure, not its cause, writes William Atkinson
Reform UK’s Habib prepares for activist investor scrap July 25, 2024 Ben Habib is not a man averse to a fight. Five months ago, Reform UK’s then deputy leader was standing atop a battle bus in Wellingborough laying siege to the record of the Tories and shouting up the benefits of lower income tax and the dangers of net-zero. The months since then have not been [...]