Foxtons shares tumble as estate agent takes £3m knock from Renters’ Rights Act July 16, 2026 Foxtons shares have tumbled after the firm said it took a knock of as much as £3m from the introduction of the Renters’ Rights Act, amid a sharp uptick in tenancy terminations. The Act abolished fixed tenancy terms and increased tenant flexibility to terminate tenancies, sparking “elevated levels of tenancy terminations.” Foxtons, which also bemoaned [...]
We should all get behind this wealth tax July 16, 2026 A wealth tax is once again rising up the agenda as Andy Burnham prepares to enter Downing Street. The tax is remarkably popular. YouGov polling last year found 75 per cent of Brits would be in favour of the introduction of a wealth tax, with only 13 per cent opposed. There are three clear reasons [...]
The pensions triple lock is a travesty. Our politicians must fess up July 16, 2026 We report this week that the OECD has added itself to a growing list of institutions warning over the sustainability of Britain’s triple lock pensions system, the policy that guarantees the state pension rises annually by the highest of inflation, earnings growth or 2.5 per cent. The triple lock, the Paris-based OECD warns, is “unusually [...]
Bank of England governor opens door to ‘simplifying’ financial rulebook July 14, 2026 Andrew Bailey opened the door to simplifying the UK’s financial rulebook as he joined Rachel Reeves for the Chancellor’s third and final Mansion House speech on Tuesday evening. The Bank of England governor distanced himself from capping taxes on banks and financial institutions, but said existing rules should help “flush out supranormal profits” by “reducing [...]
Reeves issues warning to successor as she battles to defend record July 14, 2026 Rachel Reeves is set to issue a stern warning to her successor in Number 11 as she battles to defend her record after two years in office ahead of the overthrow of Labour’s election-winning leadership. In what is widely expected to be her final act as Chancellor before Andy Burnham is made Prime Minister next [...]
‘Brutal onslaught’: Brewery McMullen’s takes aim at Reeves’ tax hikes after pub sell-off July 13, 2026 One of the UK’s biggest family-owned brewers has taken aim at Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ tax hikes after it sold off more than a quarter of its pub estate. Hertfordshire-based McMullen’s, which owned over 100 pubs before offloading 30 of them in January, has warned it is likely to struggle to stay profitable in the years [...]
The devastating prognosis for the UK’s public finances July 11, 2026 While much of the media obsesses over Nigel Farage’s fight with a man dressed as a bin, I have something more sobering to discuss as we kick off the weekend. The Office for Budget Responsibility’s report into fiscal risks and sustainability, published this week, is comfortably the most alarming yet. This is an annual review [...]
‘Moment of jeopardy’: City leaders issue rallying cry to safeguard London’s future as top financial hub July 9, 2026 London stands at a “moment of jeopardy”, top business leaders have warned, as they issued a rallying cry to secure the Square Mile’s future as a top global financial hub. The City bigwigs, including Soc Gen UK chief executive Thierry d’Argent, London Metal Exchange boss Matthew Chamberlain and former City minister Bim Afolami, have called [...]
The former African gold miner taking on the billionaire Issa brothers July 8, 2026 Roadside Real Estate has been along a weird and wonderful journey since it was first floated on the stock market. The company began life as Sovereign Mines of Africa, hunting gold deposits in the farthest corners of the African continent. But in 2016 the firm had a change of heart and decided to sell its [...]
‘In fine fettle’: Pall Mall’s RAC waiting list grows as posh club toasts profit boost July 6, 2026 The Royal Automobile Club has seen a rise in its waiting list as the posh Pall Mall private members’ club toasted a surge in profitability. The institution, which was founded in 1897 as a motoring club and later spawned the roadside assistance business RAC, saw its waiting list increase by 7 per cent in 2025 [...]
