Retail footfall dips in May despite higher consumer confidence June 13, 2025 Retail footfall dropped in May amid a wider slowdown in consumer spending despite higher consumer confidence, according to new data. Total UK footfall fell by 1.7 per cent in May year on year, down from a 7.2 per cent rise in April, according to new figures from the British Retail Consortium (BRC). Footfall at shopping centres and on [...]
Week in Business: Is Rachel Reeves About to Drop a Tax Bombshell on the UK Economy? June 12, 2025 Despite talk of growth and renewal, the economic warning lights are flashing, and experts now predict another £20bn tax raid.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra review: sleeker, shinier, faster June 12, 2025 How much more powerful can an Android phone get? Samsung’s newest model, the Galaxy S25 Ultra, comes packed with all sorts of bells and whistles, but this time in a trimmer case. It is a lighter and sleeker beast than previous models, while also managing to keep one of its flagship features, the S-Pen. Delving [...]
What a difference a day makes for Russia June 12, 2025 Today is 38 years since Ronald Reagan’s ‘tear down this wall’ speech, which ushered in the most free and fair election Russia has ever had, says Eliot Wilson There is such a thing as coincidence, and sometimes a specific date arises again and again in the same context. Today’s date, 12 June, was like that [...]
Only roaring growth can save Reeves, and the country June 11, 2025 The Chancellor had been speaking for about five minutes when it dawned on me that she wasn’t going to say anything interesting. By the time she got to discussing the finer points of Southport’s pier and Kirkcaldy’s high street, I’d moved on to other things. That’s not to say that the Spending Review wasn’t interesting, [...]
Spending Review: Khan slams lack of Met and infrastructure cash June 11, 2025 Sir Sadiq Khan has launched a scathing assessment of the Chancellor’s long-awaited Spending Review, warning it will strangle his ability to deliver new affordable homes and create jobs, and mean fewer police officers on the capital’s streets. In a statement released soon after Rachel Reeves concluded her speech, London’s newly-knighted mayor said he was “concerned” [...]
William Hill shortens odds on Pat McFadden replacing Rachel Reeves June 11, 2025 William Hill has slashed its odds on senior government minister Pat McFadden replacing Rachel Reeves as Chancellor – down from 5/1 to 2/1. McFadden is currently Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster – the most senior minister in the Cabinet Office – and is a close confidante of PM Sir Keir Starmer, playing a major [...]
Ball in Chancellor’s court as LTA waits on support for covered courts project June 10, 2025 While grass court season unfolds, Britain’s tennis chiefs at the LTA have another project on their hands: unlocking government funding to build the covered courts the country lacks. As the eyes of the tennis world turn towards London, hopes are understandably high for the home contingent at Queen’s Club and Wimbledon. Jack Draper has broken [...]
Retail shrinks by over 360,000 jobs in a decade June 10, 2025 The number of retail jobs in the UK has shrunk by more than a tenth since 2015, according to new data. There were 2.76m jobs in retail in March 2025, 360,000 fewer than in 2015, according to the latest report by the ONS. The number of full-time jobs has fallen by 117,000 since 2015, while the number [...]
Isuzu D-Max V-Cross review: The tough truck with a soft side June 10, 2025 Isuzu had its best year to date for new vehicle sales in 2024, with more than 6,500 examples of the D-Max pickup finding homes in the UK. However, the Japanese marque could face a tougher challenge in future, thanks to changes to how double cab pickup trucks are treated by HMRC. The changes make double [...]