Rachel Reeves’ tax raid leads to thousands of job losses as wage growth cools July 17, 2025 Thousands of jobs were lost in June, official data has shown, putting the Bank of England under greater pressure to deal with the consequences of Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ £20bn tax raid at its next interest rates decision in August. Bank Governor Andrew Bailey has warned that “softening” in the labour market could force rate-setters to [...]
Future: Marie Claire owner stays on track as US ad market steadies July 17, 2025 Future PLC told the market on Thursday that it remains on course to meet full-year expectations after a steady third quarter, buoyed by signs of stabilisation in the UK advertising market and solid magazine performance. The FTSE 250 media group behind titles like TechRadar, Marie Claire and The Week said trading for the three months [...]
The Bank of England is right: £25bn in assets isn’t that much for an SME lender July 17, 2025 Mid-tier banks have long faced regulatory hurdles that hinder growth, especially the minimum requirements once a lender’s assets reach £15-£25bn. Thankfully that’s about to change, but that should be just the start of reforms, says Nigel Terrington Each week, my commute to Paragon’s Solihull headquarters takes me past HS2 construction sites, bustling with heavy machinery [...]
Sticky inflation takes shine off Reeves’ week July 17, 2025 If the Chancellor was hoping to bask in the glow of supportive front-page coverage the morning after her Mansion House speech, she would have been disappointed. The spectacular revelations of Whitehall’s hushed-up cock-up over Afghan refugees knocked her off the top of the news agenda pretty much across the board. Only City AM gave her [...]
Paragon Banking MD: ‘There’s a £500bn savings mountain sat in high street banks’ July 17, 2025 Each week, we dig into the memory bank of the City’s great and good. Today, Michael Helsby,managing director of strategic direction at Paragon Banking Group takes us through his career, and his reflections on the City, in Square Mile and Me What was your first job? I left school at 16 to become an apprentice Electrical [...]
Keir Starmer refuses to rule out pension tax raid July 16, 2025 Prime Minister Keir Starmer shied away from ruling out a pensions tax raid at the Autumn Budget despite top researchers’ calls for the government to refrain from adding ever-higher cost burdens on Britons. Keir Starmer has faced repeated questions about several taxes being introduced later this year given City estimates that as much as £24bn [...]
House prices ‘continue to surprise’ as average property value ticks up in May July 16, 2025 UK house prices rose again in May, bucking predictions of a slowdown in the market after stamp duty relief was axed earlier this year. The average price for a UK property reached £269,000 in May, up 3.9 per cent year on year and 1.1 per cent month on month. The bulk of this increase was [...]
Swatch: Rachel Reeves’ tax hikes could see profit fall further July 16, 2025 Swiss watch brand Swatch has warned its UK profit could continue to shrink as a result of Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ tax hikes. The business has said the increase in employer’s National Insurance contributions – which were announced in October 2024 and came into effect in April this year – will increase operational costs. Swatch added [...]
HMRC to slap Wimbledon winners Sinner and Swiatek with £1m tax bill July 16, 2025 Wimbledon winners Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek will each be slapped with a £1m tax bill by HMRC. Despite not being based in the United Kingdom, Italian Sinner and Pole Swiatek will each be taxed at 45 per cent for winning in SW19 and claiming their £3m prizes. Robert Salter, of audit, tax and business [...]
Electric vehicle grants return, but most buyers will miss out July 16, 2025 The UK government has reintroduced grants for electric vehicles (EVs) in a bid to boost lagging consumer demand, but industry insiders warn that most buyers may be left behind. Unveiled late last week, the new electric car grant will offer up to £3,750 off the price of a new EV, targeting models priced under £37,000 [...]