Fiscal drag to push thousands of families into child benefit tax charge January 6, 2026 The Chancellor’s decision to freeze tax thresholds will leave thousands of families forced to pay High Income Child Benefit Charge, eroding the value of government support. According to official HMRC forecasts, uncovered in a freedom of information request by Quilter, fiscal drag will force 35,000 more families into paying the charge, jumping from 324,000 in [...]
London Stock Exchange poised for IPO rebound in 2026 January 6, 2026 After a long-winded exodus, London’s flagship stock exchange saw a flurry of IPO activity at the tail end of last year, with the exchange poised for further revival in 2026. In the final quarter, the UK market saw 11 IPOs which raised £1.9bn, bringing the total number of listings for the year to 23. This [...]
Cost burden on firms rise at fastest pace since May January 6, 2026 Cost burdens on firms rose at their fastest pace since May as bosses dealt with wage growth pressures and sky-high energy prices, new data has indicated. S&P Global’s latest purchasing managers’ index (PMI), a monthly survey tracking hundreds of companies’ performances, showed that cost increases became heavier at the end of last year. Researchers said [...]
Claire’s and The Original Factory Shop collapse into administration, risking thousands of jobs January 6, 2026 High street chains Claire’s and The Original Factory Shop (TOFS) are being put into administration, after their owner said “last-ditch” measures had fallen through, putting about 2,500 UK staff at risk of redundancy. The two retailers had already undergone restructuring and were bought by investment firm Modella Capital last year. Modella said it had made [...]
Non-doms made up two thirds of super-prime sellers in 2025 January 6, 2026 Wealthy foreigners fleeing the UK to escape the government’s crackdown on non-doms were behind two of every three super-prime property sales last year, leading prices at the top-end of London’s housing market to extend declines that now stretch over a decade. According to a fresh analysis of London property transactions above £15m, 65 per cent [...]
Venezuela proves farce of political forecasting January 6, 2026 If history teaches us anything, it's that political forecasters almost always get it wrong. Just look at Venezuela, writes Paul Ormerod.
Soaring food costs send shop price inflation higher January 6, 2026 Soaring food costs pushed shop price inflation higher in December, fresh data has revealed, as Brits faced the crunch during the Christmas season. Food inflation reached 3.3 per cent in the final month of 2025, up from three per cent in November, with fresh produce rising to 3.8 per cent from 3.6 per cent previously. [...]
Football-style firings in SMEs: A risky game for business owners January 5, 2026 HR professionals are seeing SMEs start to copy football’s “sack the boss” culture when things go south for the company, but warn that this strategy could turn into an “expensive legal headache”. Managers of major football teams, especially those in the Premier League, can operate like a revolving door when the team is in a [...]
Fashion giant Zara holds a mirror up to retail disruption January 5, 2026 Zara is on a mission to be more digital. From AI generated models, to reduced production timelines, to a new AI-powered virtual try-on feature, the moves point to a wider shift within the sector. The Spanish retail giant has spent the last few weeks modernising its strategy, fully embracing AI adoption to cut costs and [...]
Betfred rakes in £1.5bn as founders enjoy jackpot payday January 5, 2026 The billionaire brothers who founded Betfred have shared a bumper payday after the betting giant raked in almost £1.5bn. The Warrington-headquartered business has posted a turnover of £1.45bn for the 78 weeks to 30 March, 2025. New accounts filed with Companies House also show Betfred made a pre-tax profit of £188.6m over the same period. [...]