Knight Frank appointed for bumper Brighton Palace Pier sale January 2, 2026 Knight Frank has been instructed on the sale of Brighton Palace Pier, two months after the Grade II-listed landmark’s owners revealed their plans to offload the amusement park amid a barrage of economic headwinds. The Brighton Pier Group appointed the property giant to seek a buyer for the coastal attraction, which its operator said in [...]
Activity in UK’s embattled manufacturing sector hits 15-month high January 2, 2026 The UK’s embattled manufacturing sector took another small step towards recovery at the end of 2025 thanks to an influx of new orders. The latest UK Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) from S&P Global UK hit a 15-month high as the industry continued to grow for the second consecutive month. The PMI reading hit 50.6, up [...]
FTSE 100 closes whisker away from 10,000 after intraday high January 2, 2026 The FTSE 100 was heading to a close a whisker away from the 10,000 mark on Friday after sealing an intraday high in the first day of trading in 2026. London’s blue-chip index climbed 0.3 per cent to finish the session near 9,962p. The index was boosted by an early morning rally as markets opened, [...]
Housing market ended 2025 on ‘softer note’ after ‘resilient’ year January 2, 2026 The UK housing market rounded off 2025 on a softer note after remaining “resilient” through a volatile year, according to Nationwide’s latest house price index. Annual house price growth slowed to 0.6 per cent in December from 1.8 per cent in November, with a 0.4 per cent fall in prices. This took the average UK [...]
Labour ‘quietly hammering’ workers as pensioners benefit, think tank warns January 2, 2026 The Labour government is “quietly hammering” workers following the Autumn Budget’s stealth tax raid while pensioners and those on benefits are set to enjoy a jump in income, a think tank has said. In the November Budget, Rachel Reeves extended the freeze on income tax thresholds until 2031 – a move which is viewed as [...]
Britain lost one pub a day in 2025 December 31, 2025 One pub a day closed its doors in 2025 as businesses were forced to battle mounting cost pressures and an increasingly heavy tax burden. Fresh analysis from global tax firm Ryan showed 366 pubs were demolished or converted for other uses in the last 12 months. Since 2020, nearly 2,000 pubs have closed for good, [...]
Britain stuck at bottom of G7 for total investment as Labour’s policies backfire December 31, 2025 Rachel Reeves has come under fire after fresh data revealed Britain was stuck in last place among the world’s seven largest economies for total investment. Public and private investment marked just 18.6 per cent of GDP in the three months to September, placing the UK last among the G7 nations. Whilst it is a trend [...]
London Stock Exchange needs more ‘hustle’ to attract IPOs, says Octopus chief December 31, 2025 The boss of Octopus Energy Group has said the London Stock Exchange needs to show more “hustle” to attract new listing candidates like the group’s tech arm, Kraken. Greg Jackson, chief executive of Octopus, said whilst he would “love” for Kraken to list in the City, but added the London Stock Exchange (LSE) needs to [...]
How to boost your pension pot in 2026 December 31, 2025 The New Year is fast approaching, and with it, resolutions to improve financial situations and retirement outlooks. This can be done through changing cash ISA accounts for one with a more favourable interest rate, investing in the stock market or paying off debts. But for many people, in particular those approaching retirement, reviewing and updating [...]
Majority of Brits think economy is getting worse December 30, 2025 A majority of Brits think the economy is getting worse, with sentiment souring significantly amid rising prices and weak growth. Nearly six in ten Brits believe the UK economy is on a downward spiral, a major jump from 43 per cent at the beginning of the year, marking a significant blow to Chancellor Rachel Reeves [...]