UK disposable income rises as benefits payouts soar ahead of wages Economics The average UK household’s disposable income increased in the second quarter of the year driven by a rise in benefit payouts. Real household disposable income per head – which measures the average spending and saving capacity of Brits – increased by one per cent in the second quarter to £6,577, new figures from the Office [...]
Former Labour deputy joins Palantir as tech giant targets UK growth Tech Former Labour deputy leader Tom Watson has joined Palantir as a senior vice president as the US tech firm looks to expand its work with the British government while facing mounting scrutiny over its public sector contracts. Watson, who served as an MP for 18 years and held ministerial roles under Gordon Brown, will work [...]
London house price slowdown worsens as luxury areas lose value Property House prices losses in London accelerated in June as the capital’s most sought-after postcodes shed value again. The average house price in London dropped by 3.3 per cent in July to £550,000, worse than June’s 2.5 per cent fall, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The capital’s most affluent postcodes have suffered sharp [...]
‘Vertical drinking’ row rumbles on in Westminster September 8, 2026 Sadiq Khan has hit out at the “breathtaking arrogance” of Westminster council, accusing the authority of ignoring public and industry opposition to its reported plans to crack down on so-called vertical drinking in the borough. The mayor of London has slammed the council for pushing ahead with its new licensing policy, which also imposes restrictions [...]
House prices in wealthy London boroughs fall by up to £300,000 August 19, 2026 House prices in London’s most sought-after areas plummeted further in June, with the average price in some postcodes falling by nearly £300,000 year on year. London’s average house price slipped by 2.5 per cent to £554,000 in the year to June, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Though this was a softer fall [...]
Silly season is upon us but politics will get serious soon enough July 29, 2026 In May, Reform MP Danny Kruger unveiled a substantial piece of work “setting out Reform’s plans for the centre of government, shaped by the research of the Preparation for Government team.” His 5,000 word article went into huge detail about the structural changes his party intends to make to Whitehall and the machinery of government. [...]
London house prices fall again as property slowdown drags on July 22, 2026 London house prices fell again in May as uncertainty over Andy Burnham’s premiership dampened market confidence. The average house price in the capital slipped by 3.7 per cent to £545,000 in the year to May, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Prices jumped in the rest of the country, though the headline rate [...]
Octopus tells Burnham to ‘cut bills’ with £189 energy plan July 18, 2026 Octopus Energy has urged incoming prime minister Andy Burnham to overhaul Britain’s electricity market, saying the changes could cut the average household bill by up to £189 a year. The supplier said reforming wholesale electricity pricing would save households around £114 a year, and also called for energy levies to be moved from electricity bills [...]
‘If you find yourself stuck in politics, the thing to do is start a fight’ July 8, 2026 In the great work of historical fiction, Imperium, Robert Harris imagines the Roman statesman Cicero observing that “if you find yourself stuck in politics, the thing to do is start a fight.” Clacton may be a far cry from the ancient senate in Rome, but Nigel Farage has followed the playbook. Facing a parliamentary standards [...]
Vance says ‘broken’ Britain must rebuild economy, not just change PM July 5, 2026 US vice president JD Vance has branded Britain’s politics “broken”, saying the country’s revolving door of prime ministers reflects a deeper economic failure that has hollowed out industry, weakened productivity and left voters demanding structural reform. In an interview with The Sunday Times, Vance said Britain’s recent political instability was symptomatic of long-term economic decline [...]