Santander and TSB kick off mortgage rate cuts after Iran turmoil April 16, 2026 Santander and TSB have kicked off the mortgage rate cutting cycle after lenders pulled deals and hiked their rates amidst the turmoil in Iran. From Thursday, Santander said it would be lower the price on higher loan-to-value (LTV) mortgages products by near 0.3 per cent, which includes its two-year fixed, first-time buyer products. Meanwhile, TSB said it [...]
‘Entirely avoidable’: Build-to-rent housebuilding slows as London planning wait doubles April 15, 2026 The construction of build-to-rent homes in Britain is in danger of grinding to a halt as the planning wait for London homes has almost doubled in this decade. The number of build-to-rent homes under construction has fallen for the ninth consecutive quarter, according to data shared exclusively with City AM. The government has pledged to [...]
Help to buy scheme had ‘limited impact on social mobility’ April 15, 2026 Previous help-to-buy schemes did little to improve social mobility and mainly benefited high earners, the government has been warned, as it mulls reviving the programme. Help-to-buy, which offered equity loans to first-time buyers, had a “limited impact on social mobility,” the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has said. The government is reportedly considering revising help-to-buy, [...]
The government is about to find out you can’t please the people and the bond markets April 14, 2026 In the next phase of the Iran crisis, investors will demand fiscal discipline; electorates will demand intervention. In a supply-driven stagflationary environment, it may be impossible to satisfy both, says Helen Thomas A severe physical supply shock is rippling through the global economy and unlike recent crises, this is not one policymakers can easily offset. [...]
House prices drop as Iran war shakes property market April 8, 2026 House prices fell in March as the uncertainty caused by the Iran war stifled the property market and spiked fears of interest rate rises. Average house prices fell 0.5 per cent last month, reversing the modest 0.3 per cent February increase, according to Halifax’s house price index. This is the latest signal that the Iran [...]
M&A in a time of geopolitical turmoil April 8, 2026 Dealmakers are being more selective and concentrating their bets to cope with AI, tariffs and instability in the Middle East, says Jerome Pottier A trillion dollars of dealmaking in under three months should feel like a boom. By the numbers, it is. Activity is up 27 per cent year on year, and the megadeal is [...]
Keir Starmer believes undoing Brexit will solve Britain’s problems – he’s wrong April 6, 2026 The only way Starmer can get everything he wants from a relationship “reset” with Brussels is by rejoining the EU, says Eliot Wilson This Wednesday is the anniversary of Britain and France signing the Entente cordiale in 1904. It was actually three separate agreements, ostensibly dealing with colonial boundaries and fishing rights, but in practice [...]
Friends of The Whisky Exchange launches to reward customers April 2, 2026 In an exciting development for all whisky and spirits fans, The Whisky Exchange has launched a loyalty programme. The scheme is designed to reward the company’s most loyal customers with exclusive bottlings, shared knowledge, discounts and much more. The initial invites for the Friends of The Whisky Exchange scheme were sent out to a handful [...]
House prices pick up but property outlook remains ‘clouded’ March 31, 2026 House prices picked up in March as the property market gained traction after a slow start to the year, though experts warn the Iran war could “cloud” this momentum. The UK’s house prices rose by 2.2 per cent year on year in March, up from one per cent growth in the year to February, as [...]
Here’s how to get London building now March 31, 2026 New housebuilding in London has ground to a halt. Urgent effort is needed to cut taxes on new housing, make the regulator more efficient and help first time buyers, says John Dickie As we head towards May’s local elections, London’s acute housing crisis will be one of the most frequent issues raised by voters on [...]