Fiscal rules are a ‘self-awarded badge of honour’ that ‘make no difference’ January 9, 2026 Fiscal rules are “largely ineffective” and fail to impose discipline on public expenditure, a new report has said, bringing into question claims made by UK Chancellors and the International Monetary Fund that a clear list of targets can stabilise public finances. Chancellor Rachel Reeves has held up her “iron-clad” fiscal rules, which hinge on changing [...]
Make this the year Britain stops punishing wealth creators January 9, 2026 Britain is now a £1 trillion tax state with the biggest differential between high and low earners in the OECD. Our top 10 per cent face rates comparable to Denmark while middle earners pay less than Americans, except we don’t deliver Scandinavian public services or American entrepreneurship. We’ve stumbled into the worst of all worlds, [...]
Peers warn ‘passive’ Treasury not aware of private credit risks January 9, 2026 The Treasury is being too passive about the risks posed to the economy by the rapid growth of private credit in the UK, according to an influential group of peers who accused ministers of “handing out the donkey work” of overseeing the sector to regulators. In fresh report examining the systemic risk posed by private [...]
Financial services suffer ‘rapid’ fall in business January 8, 2026 Financial services are suffering from a “rapid” fall in business activity, new survey data has shown, pointing to investors’ struggles to revive a spluttering UK economy. The Confederation of British Industry (CBI)‘s figures suggested financial services companies experienced a decline in business volumes and profitability at the end of last year, hitting confidence across the [...]
Ministers to offer business rates relief to pubs after backlash January 8, 2026 Panicked ministers are poised to water down the business rates bombshell faced by pubs, after an aggressive backlash from the industry saw over a thousand landlords ban Labour MPs from their premises. The government is expected to announce an overhaul to the way it calculates business rates for pubs within days, which it says will [...]
Rates row shows how little Labour understands business January 8, 2026 Whether it’s your after work favourite or your home local – whether you drink or not – everyone has a favourite pub. But the sector is facing a crisis – and we know whose fault it is. We also know the challenges facing British pubs reflect a bigger problem in the relationship between this government [...]
It’s time for Starmer to choose: is he a lawyer or a leader? January 8, 2026 The international, rules-and-rights-based order is crumbling in the face of Trump’s brute force. This leaves career human rights lawyer Keir Starmer in an interesting position… A Venezuelan friend once showed me a small purse made out of folded and woven 100,000 Bolivar notes. These would be sold to tourists for a few dollars as their [...]
Bosses hold up wage growth expectations amid inflation tensions January 8, 2026 Company bosses have cut their wage growth expectations for the year ahead, Bank of England data has suggested, with inflation pressures on Britons easing. Finance chiefs across private sector firms are set to raise wages by smaller amounts than seen in the last year, which could sway some Bank policymakers to lower borrowing costs further. [...]
Former Hargreaves Lansdown head of money Susannah Streeter to join Wealth Club January 8, 2026 One of the City’s best-known market commentators has jumped ship to Wealth Club to become the firm’s new chief investment strategist. Susannah Streeter, who previously worked at Hargreaves Lansdown for five years, will take up her position at the investment service, which is aimed at assisting high net worth individuals from 12 January. Streeter will lead [...]
Peter Mandelson handed back £1.3m from consulting firm he founded January 8, 2026 A consulting firm founded by Peter Mandelson handed back £1.3m to the House of Lords peer prior to his departure from the business, the firm’s latest accounts reveal. Global Counsel, a London-based public policy consultancy launched by Mandelson in 2016, had been lent £1m by the disgraced politician with interest paid “at commercial rates,” white [...]