Top investment bank: Starmer and Reeves left UK ‘no better off than they found it’ July 24, 2026 Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves failed to leave the economy in a better position than they found it, according to top investment bank, which said the administration’s fixation on “luxury beliefs” kneecapped its number one mission to revive Britain’s flagging growth. In a research note on Friday, Panmure Liberum said the former Prime Minister and [...]
Heathrow boss warns Burnham against Budget raid after hub’s tax bill doubles July 24, 2026 The boss of Heathrow has warned Andy Burnham against using business as a cash cow at his maiden Budget this autumn, after the airport’s tax bill more than doubled in the space of a year. Thomas Woldbye said the aviation sector is one of the most heavily taxed industries in Britain, and that uptick in [...]
‘Dwarfed by other costs’ – Why cutting business rates for pubs won’t save the sector July 24, 2026 Andy Burnham has unveiled his long-awaited support for the UK’s struggling pubs, but the hospitality industry is contending with far more pressures than just business rates Andy Burnham’s pledge to cut business rates for pubs, clubs and music venues is expected to save each venue more than £1,000 next year in a move that comes [...]
Crystal Palace stadium set for £130m revamp with 25,000 seats July 24, 2026 Plans for the £130m refurbishment of a major 25,000-capacity south London stadium in Crystal Palace have been given the green light. The planning application for the renovation of the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre has been approved with the refurbishment set to feature a revamped swimming and diving pool, as well as a padel centre, [...]
Jaecoo 8: A Premium SUV with Substance and Surprising Polish July 24, 2026 The arrival of the Jaecoo 8 SHS-P in the UK says something about where the car market is heading here, writes motoring journalist Tim Barnes-Clay. Chinese brands are no longer content with building budget alternatives. They want a place at the top table, and after spending time with Jaecoo’s new plug-in hybrid flagship, I came [...]
West Ham United London Stadium deal costing taxpayers £19m a year July 24, 2026 The London Stadium deal between West Ham United and City Hall costs taxpayers £19m a year, the stadium company’s chair has revealed. A deal signed in 2013 between then Mayor of London Boris Johnson and bigwigs at the Hammers sees the former Premier League side pay £4.6m in rent per year, dropping this season due [...]
HSBC sells Singapore insurance arm to Allianz in £1.6bn deal July 24, 2026 FTSE 100 HSBC has agreed to sell its health and life insurance business to German insurance giant Allianz for $2.1bn (£1.6bn) as it refocuses its strategy on Singapore’s wealth management. The banking giant agreed to sell its Singapore business to Allianz in a transaction that is expected to be completed in the first half of [...]
Sky and ITV mount defence of £1.6bn merger as regulators probe deal July 24, 2026 Sky and ITV will argue their proposed £1.6bn merger controls only around a fifth of Britain’s advertising market as they seek to convince competition regulators to approve one of the biggest media deals in decades, City AM understands. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) on Wednesday invited comments on Sky’s planned acquisition of ITV’s Media [...]
Almirall H1 2026 Results July 24, 2026 Almirall delivers solid H1 2026 results growing Net Sales by 7.5% and EBITDA by 23.7%, driven by its strong European Dermatology business – reiterating guidance aligned with long-term growth trajectory Net Sales increased by 7.5% YoY to €602.7 MM, while EBITDA grew by 23.7% to €150.7 MM, reflecting strong commercial and operational execution. The European Dermatology business continues to drive growth, increasing 18.1% YoY to €341.9 MM, supported by strong performance of its key growth drivers and favourable underlying market growth. Continued solid performance of the biologics portfolio, with Ilumetri® delivering 10.5% increase to €125.2 MM and Ebglyss® growing 88.2% to €84.5 MM in Net Sales, supported by sustained growth in recent launch markets. The broader dermatology portfolio delivers positive performance, including Wynzora® (19.3%, total of €20.4 MM) and Klisyri® (13.9%, total of €15.6 MM). Almirall advances its innovation strategy through progress across its R&D pipeline, including four ongoing PoC/Phase II studies and two additional PoC studies planned to be initiated by end of 2026, targeting five dermatological diseases. The first readouts are expected towards the end of 2026. Almirall signs a strategic research collaboration and licensing agreement with Certest Biotec to discover and develop novel treatments for rare dermatologic diseases and recurrent cutaneous conditions. Reiterated guidance for the full year 2026: 9-12% growth and € 270MM to € 290MM EBITDA.
From Mongolian camels to Tibetan verbs: the absurdity Ed Miliband’s aid spending plans July 24, 2026 Ed Miliband want to increase aid spending to 0.7 per cent of GDP, but the history of aid spending is one of waste, corruption and cost to taxpayers, says James Price Last year, a 23-year-old in Ulaanbaatar proposed to his girlfriend. There was a helicopter ride, an expensive ring, and designer handbags, all lovingly documented [...]