House prices fall faster in London as property market stays ‘subdued’ October 7, 2026 House prices in London fell at a faster rate last month, as homeowners in the capital continue to bear the brunt of the property market slowdown caused by the Iran war. The average house price in London fell by 2.2 per cent to £531,548 in the year to September, according to the Lloyds house price [...]
Governments should spend more on welfare to tackle cost of living, says IMF October 6, 2026 Governments across the world should prioritise targeted welfare support for low income households over broader measures like tax cuts to ease the cost of living, the International Monetary Fund has said. Policymakers should do more to protect vulnerable households from surges in inflation caused by geopolitical events like the Iran war, the IMF says in [...]
‘Disastrous’: Average five-year fixed mortgage rate surges to six per cent October 5, 2026 The average five-year fixed mortgage rate has broken the six per cent mark for the first time in three years after a fresh raft of lenders hiked prices. The typical five-year agreement has hit six per cent, according to Moneyfacts, while the average two-year is a whisker behind at 5.98 per cent. It is the [...]
The search for Nigel Farage’s elusive wristwatch October 5, 2026 We investigate the mystery of Nigel Farage’s wristwatch. Could the so-called man of the people really wear a £40,000 Patek Philippe Calatrava? Andy Blackmore starts digging and finds a surprising answer… Sometimes the watch we wear tells more about us than we would care to admit, far more than any session with a psychologist. With that [...]
UK services sector marks two years of job losses October 5, 2026 The UK’s dominant services sector has suffered two years of continuous job losses despite moderate growth against the backdrop of intense trading disruption and high borrowing costs, new data has indicated. Researchers at S&P Global said a fall in employment over September across services firms meant the sector had now suffered two consecutive years of [...]
Heathrow and housing: Griffith pledges ‘most ambitious deregulation project’ in generation October 4, 2026 The Conservatives’ pick for chancellor has pledged to roll out the “most ambitious deregulation project in a generation” as he is set to say plans could cut £50,000 off the price of a new home. Andrew Griffith, the shadow chancellor, will say on Monday he will slash red tape for businesses across construction, supermarkets and [...]
G7 agrees to release diesel reserves after crisis meeting October 2, 2026 Leaders from the G7 have agreed to tap into 100m of diesel and oil from their reserves in a bid to stave off a soaring supply crisis and end an escalating feud between the Euope and the US. The club of wealthy democracies said on Friday that they would work with the International Energy Agency [...]
Price pressures hit firms amid uncertain outlook and fears of interest rate hikes October 2, 2026 Firms’ inflation expectations for the next 12 months rose higher, according to closely watched Bank of England survey, the results of which could pile pressure on policymakers to raise interest rates. The Bank’s monthly survey of firms’ price expectations, the Decision Makers’ Panel, showed price expectations becoming more jittery as costs from the energy price [...]
Burnham’s ‘costly’ policy agenda sparks investor nerves October 1, 2026 Andy Burnham’s “costly” policy agenda and the resurgent threat of inflation are weighing on investors’ appetite for the UK, according to a closely-watched survey of top money managers, which also revealed waning hopes of a rebound in London’s IPO market this year. Berenberg’s Investor Barometer, which polled 300 international investors managing a combined $1 trillion, [...]
Britain may not be facing economic apocalypse, but it looks that way October 1, 2026 Despite a challenging economic landscape marked by rising inflation and borrowing costs, the UK economy demonstrates unexpected resilience and potential for recovery, says Daniel Mahoney It is fair to say the economic landscape looks bleak. Brent Crude is hovering around $100 a barrel and rising gas prices are set to drive up inflation. Meanwhile, markets [...]