Treasury launches business rates review for pubs and hotels August 24, 2026 The Treasury has launched a review into how business rates are calculated for pubs and hotels in the government’s latest bid to boost businesses operating in town centres. Launched on Monday, the government said the review will “look at improving fairness for businesses” and will aim “to ensure the system is fair and transparent, and [...]
A global tram renaissance is underway. Why isn’t London jumping on board? August 24, 2026 London, once home to the world's largest tram network, squandered it all. Nicholas Boys Smith explains how London can get back on track.
HMRC mansion tax inspectors to target homes for property valuations August 23, 2026 HMRC will send mansion tax inspectors to homes across the UK to determine whether homeowners should pay more tax under the new levy. The taxman will deploy valuation agents who will be able to demand entry to properties in order to assess whether they are worth over £2m and therefore fall under The High Value [...]
Burnham to hand mayors power to overrule local councils’ planning decisions August 23, 2026 Andy Burnham will give mayors across the UK new powers to overrule planning decisions made by local councils and to greenlight large-scale developments. The prime minister will unveil proposals this week to give regional mayors in 13 areas including Manchester, Liverpool, and the West Midlands, powers to take over planning decisions as well as direct [...]
Why Liverpool deal proves demand for Premier League stakes is soaring August 23, 2026 There is strong demand for English football stakes, writes Ed Barnett of Latham & Watkins, which advised the Amit Bhatia-led consortium on its acquisition of a minority stake in Liverpool. The recent sale of a stake in Liverpool FC to a consortium of investors led and managed by Amit Bhatia shows the summer’s biggest transfers [...]
Can debt-ridden Morrisons become a Big Four supermarket again? August 22, 2026 “Nothing but difficult” is how one retail analyst describes the road ahead for Morrisons boss Rami Batiéh. Since taking charge of the grocer in November 2023, the chief executive has faced an uphill battle, as the group – once a firm member of the UK’s ‘big four’ – is outpaced by its rivals. Batiéh, whose [...]
Who sponsors the 20 Premier League clubs after gambling ban? August 22, 2026 The Premier League is underway and you may have noticed a lack of shirts featuring gambling and casino brands. That’s not because they’ve been banned outright, but because the 20 Premier League clubs agreed to a voluntary removal of the sector from the coveted front-of-shirt advertising space. It has meant a mad rush for those [...]
Lord O’Neill declines job in Burnham government August 21, 2026 Former Goldman Sachs executive and Tory Treasury minister Lord Jim O’Neill has declined a job in Andy Burnham’s government, in a blow to the Prime Minister as he looks to woo business ahead of the Budget. O’Neill served as an informal economic adviser to Burnham before his election as Labour leader and had been in [...]
Liverpool and LA Lakers deals set new bar for sport investment August 21, 2026 In one week Fenway Sports Group (FSG) sold 38 per cent of Liverpool to a consortium led by Amit Bhatia that also includes Jeff Bezos and Eduardo Saverin at a £5.5bn valuation, and former Disney chief Bob Iger and Donald Trump-linked Josh Kushner agreed to buy the LA Lakers for £9bn. These deals are massive, [...]
Nationwide warns returns from corporate AI are still hard to measure August 21, 2026 Nationwide has warned that the financial returns from workplace AI remain difficult to quantify, even as the building society rolls out the technology to around 16,000 staff. Around 1,000 employees across the combined Nationwide and Virgin Money finance team now have premium Microsoft 365 Copilot licences, while some 2,500 engineers are using Github Copilot. Paul [...]