Tesco urges Healey to slash ‘fundamentally unfair’ business rates Retail The boss of Tesco has urged John Healey to reform the “fundamentally unfair” business rates system and avoid a so-called warehouse tax. Ken Murphy, chief executive of the UK’s biggest grocer, has become the latest retail industry figure to urge the Chancellor to cut taxes on high street businesses, as Andy Burnham pledges a revival [...]
Governments should spend more on welfare to tackle cost of living, says IMF Economics 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 [...]
New car smell: Taking the fragrant new Omoda 7 for a spin Life&Style Can you bottle that new car smell? Adam Hay-Nicholls goes on a scent tour of the Cotswolds in the new Omoda 7 hybrid electric vehicle Could you bottle that ‘new car smell’, you’d be on to a winner. That’s the bracing odour of a bold financial decision. That odour is a cocktail of volatile organic [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
Bank of England’s Taylor: No need for interest rate hike September 30, 2026 Bank of England official Alan Taylor has downplayed the need to raise interest rates in the face of the looming energy crisis, saying he saw no evidence that price rises from an initial jump in fuel costs were filtering into the wider economy. External Monetary Policy Committee member said the case for rate hikes was [...]
Aldi says rival supermarkets pushing up prices as shoppers feel pinch September 28, 2026 The boss of discount grocer Aldi has accused its rivals of driving growth by raising food prices, as the supermarket committed to fending off “persistent” price inflation. Giles Hurley, chief executive of the UK’s fourth-biggest supermarket, hit out at the grocer’s competitors, insisting that Aldi is the only operator whose prices have fallen year-on-year. He [...]
Aldi to invest £900m in new stores after record turnover September 28, 2026 Aldi is set to spend £900m opening new stores next year, as the discount grocer warned the Iran war and droughts were pushing up the “pressures” facing households. The UK’s fourth-biggest supermarket said it is seeing record sales growth because of its “relentless focus” on low prices, amid fears that the cost of food could [...]
‘Last days of the honeymoon’: Anxious bosses prepare charm offensive at Labour conference September 25, 2026 Ahead of the Labour Party Conference on Sunday, and one month away from the Budget, businesses are feeling nervous, write Mauricio Alencar and Felix Armstrong Stepping onto an early-morning Avanti West Coast train from London Euston is now a familiar feeling for the Prime Minister. Andy Burnham is set to make the journey more regularly [...]