We should all get behind this wealth tax Opinion A wealth tax is once again rising up the agenda as Andy Burnham prepares to enter Downing Street. The tax is remarkably popular. YouGov polling last year found 75 per cent of Brits would be in favour of the introduction of a wealth tax, with only 13 per cent opposed. There are three clear reasons [...]
Would a Burnham premiership deepen the North-South housing divide? Property The UK housing market remained subdued in June, as fallout from the Iran war and long-running cost and regulatory issues continued to plague the sector, but as we enter what promises to be a sizzling summer all eyes are on a possible recovery. Specifically, Manchester – from where the King in the North has emerged [...]
Ignore the green gloomsters, climate change is a huge opportunity for Britain Opinion We do not solve a warming planet by lowering our standard of living, raising taxes and making ordinary people poorer. We solve it with engineering, enterprise, adaptation and abundance, says Albie Amankona For decades, the British national pastime has been complaining about the weather. We have endured centuries of grey, damp, drizzling misery, huddled around [...]
Heathrow launches mental health service for locals affected by third runway June 29, 2026 Heathrow has launched a mental health support service for residents affected by the third runway expansion in a bid to stave off opposition from hundreds of locals who face being turfed out for the development. In a letter set to locals last week, the west London hub confirmed plans for a fully funded wellbeing support [...]
Londoners should back Andy Burnham’s property tax reforms – not fear them June 26, 2026 Replacing Stamp Duty and council tax with a proportional property tax will make London’s housing market work better, says Andrew Dixon If a “London tax grab” were on the cards, Londoners would rightly be wary. They already face high rents, high mortgages and some of the largest tax bills in the country. Yet Fairer Share’s Proportional [...]
Treasury confirms scrapping of Lifetime ISA but industry questions remain June 24, 2026 The government has confirmed it is replacing the hotly debated Lifetime ISA with a new product aimed solely at first time buyers, but industry figures are questioning the new framework. In a consultation published on Tuesday, the government confirmed the new product, dubbed the ‘First Time Buyer ISA’, (FTB ISA) will only be available to [...]
London homeowners should stand up to Burnham’s property tax grab plans June 24, 2026 Andy Burnham has previously a ‘proportional property tax’ which would mean Londoner’s taxes going to pay for leisure centres in the North, says Charles Amos When it comes to the question of Britain’s most hated tax, council tax is only beaten by inheritance tax. Yet for Andy Burnham its reform and increase of the upper [...]
Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance Expands Marine Leadership; Names Ben Wyatt as Head of Marine for North America and the UK June 2, 2026 Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance (BHSI) today announced that Ben Wyatt has been promoted to Head of Marine for North America and the UK. Effective immediately, Ben expands his leadership responsibilities beyond the U.S. to include oversight of BHSI’s Marine business in the UK and Canada. In this role, Ben will drive underwriting, strategy, and portfolio [...]
Is housebuilding in London impossible? May 25, 2026 After its 900-home development in Peckham was blocked, housebuilder Berkeley said it can “no longer invest” in London. Felix Armstrong asks whether development in the capital really has hit a brick wall At the Aylesham Centre in Peckham, south London, shoppers are met with graffitied walls, peeling paint and shuttered retail units. The site began [...]
House prices slump again in London’s wealthiest areas May 20, 2026 London house prices fell again in March, as the capital’s wealthiest areas continued to see significant drop-offs in house values. House prices in London fell by 2.1 per cent in the year to March, though this drop was slightly softer than the 3.1 per cent in the year to February, according to the Office for [...]