Sterling surges to highest in four years amid dollar weakness January 27, 2026 Sterling touched its highest level against the dollar in four years on Tuesday as selling pressure on the greenback intensified. The pound was trading at $1.376, its highest level since 2021, while the euro also rose to multi-year highs on Tuesday afternoon, continuing a poor run for the dollar. In January alone the dollar index [...]
In defence of Ruth Davidson, Andy Street and the Tory ‘wets’ January 27, 2026 The right has no path to victory without also winning back voters who defected from the Conservatives to the Liberal Democrats in 2024. Recent Tory defections to Reform have made that job easier for Kemi Badenoch, says Alys Denby Wet Wet Wet is the name of the musical outfit behind “Love is All Around”, which [...]
Nearly 600 jobs to go as Revolution Bars rescue deal shuts over 20 sites January 27, 2026 Nearly 600 jobs are set to be wiped out after a last-minute rescue deal to acquire the group behind Revolution Bars will see more than 20 sites closed with immediate effect. Administrators for Revel Collective, the AIM-listed hospitality group which also owns the Peach pubs chain, said two separate deals had been reached to sell [...]
Food prices to jump despite easing inflation predictions January 27, 2026 Food prices are projected to jump higher despite economists’ predictions of easing inflation, according to a fresh survey, which warned that soaring energy prices and taxes were exacerbating the cost of living for Britons. New data by the British Retail Consortium has suggested that food price inflation could rise at a faster pace, weighing heavily [...]
Revolution Bars owner appoints administrators as hospitality crisis deepens January 26, 2026 Dozens of bars up and down the country could soon shut their doors for the last time as one of Britain’s best-known hospitality groups prepares to appoint administrators. Revel Collective, which owns more than sixty venues comprising the Revolution Bars group as well as the Peach pub chain, said it expects to appoint administrators within [...]
Maximise cash savings in a falling rate landscape January 26, 2026 The new year tends to bring personal finances into focus and is therefore an optimal time to consider savings strategies, including protecting the value of existing savings. The economic backdrop has changed significantly over the last few years. Inflation has finally started to cool and monetary policy is easing. The Investec economics team is currently [...]
Flight prices to jump as regional airports hit by rocketing tax bills January 26, 2026 Air passengers are being warned to brace for ticket hikes as regional airports across the UK face “unprecedented” rises in property tax next year. Regional airports are among the sectors facing the steepest increases in business rates in the UK amid an overhaul of property valuations underpinning the tax. While London’s Heathrow and Gatwick are [...]
Hundreds of hospitality firms close as cost pressures take toll January 26, 2026 The “relentless” increase in operating costs put hospitality businesses under increasing pressure in the final quarter of last year, industry figures suggest. According to consumer intelligence firm NIQ, there were 382 fewer licensed premises at the end of December than there were three months prior, equivalent to four closures per day. Casual dining sites and [...]
Private sector bounces back but Reeves leaves hospitality reeling January 23, 2026 The UK’s private sector expanded at the fastest rate in nearly two years in the first month of 2026 but the reeling hospitality sector was still feeling the crunch from Labour policy. The latest Flash Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) from S&P Global showed a major uptick in the all-important services sector, which is often seen [...]
UK retail sales see modest Christmas rise following Budget January 23, 2026 UK retail sales inched up slightly in December, as consumers returned to the high street for Christmas shopping after the Autumn Budget, but failed to halt an overall fall in purchases during the final quarter. Retail sales volumes are estimated to have increased by 0.4 per cent in December, following falls of 0.1 per cent [...]