Octopus tells Burnham to ‘cut bills’ with £189 energy plan July 18, 2026 Octopus Energy has urged incoming prime minister Andy Burnham to overhaul Britain’s electricity market, saying the changes could cut the average household bill by up to £189 a year. The supplier said reforming wholesale electricity pricing would save households around £114 a year, and also called for energy levies to be moved from electricity bills [...]
Did this World Cup have too much of Sir David Beckham? July 18, 2026 Graham McKenna assesses whether David Beckham proves this World Cup had too much celebrity As the curtain starts to fall on another World Cup, a lot of conversation around this year’s tournament hasn’t been about the football itself, but the business surrounding it. The introduction of mandatory hydration breaks sparked plenty of debate, with many [...]
Burnham: I’ll be a pro-business Prime Minister July 17, 2026 Andy Burnham has vowed to be a pro-business Prime Minister who will reindustrialise Britain and support the country’s small businesses. Speaking after he was crowned Labour leader on Friday, the former Manchester mayor railed against “four decades of neoliberalism” which he said had seen political power concentrated in Westminster while “economic power was privatised”. In [...]
The Executive Ledger: Is the company car consigned to history? July 17, 2026 The traditional executive company car used to be defined by a beautifully simple set of rules, writes motoring journalist Tim Barnes-Clay. It required a German saloon, 3.0 litres of naturally aspirated displacement, finished in metallic paint, and a designated parking space close to the boardroom doors. It was a statement of seniority, paid for by [...]
KBRA Releases UK RMBS Indices: Q2 2026 July 17, 2026 KBRA releases its UK RMBS Indices: Q2 2026. The indices track early-, mid-, and late-stage delinquencies, annualised net losses, and prepayment activity across prime, buy-to-let (BTL), and nonconforming (NC) mortgage collateral. Click here to view the report. About KBRA KBRA, one of the major credit rating agencies, is registered in the U.S., EU, and the [...]
City sizes up mystery Mahmood July 17, 2026 Executives and business groups have begun sizing up Shabana Mahmood and her past policy positions as they search for ways to engage the woman tipped to become Andy Burnham’s Chancellor next week. The emergence of Mahmood, who hails from the right of the party and cracked down on immigration in her role as home secretary, [...]
World Cup demand pushes price of private jet charters up 30 per cent July 16, 2026 The price of chartering a private jet between some US cities has surged by up to 30 per cent due to “exceptionally strong demand” during the World Cup. Corporate groups, wealthy football fans and syndicates of supporters travelling together have turned to private charters in increasing numbers to navigate the biggest and most geographically dispersed [...]
Burnham set for crunch decision on JP Morgan’s £10bn tower July 16, 2026 Andy Burnham’s government will face a crunch decision on the future of JP Morgan’s flagship tower in Canary Wharf as it weighs whether to uphold a major tax break for the project despite opposition from industry groups. The next Chancellor will serve as the final arbiter on the framework of a business rates exemption for [...]
Frasers slams ‘nonsense rumours’ over Harvey Nichols bid July 16, 2026 The boss of Frasers has hit back at “nonsense rumours” that retail brands are reluctant to work with the group, which is known for making aggressive plays to take control of rival companies. The group, which owns Sports Direct and Flannels, gatecrashed the auction to buy luxury department store Harvey Nichols last week, despite some [...]
Retailers urge Burnham to slash tax and back youth employment July 16, 2026 Retailers have called on Andy Burnham to slash their taxes and help them to employ young people in a raft of demands for the Prime Minister-to-be. The British Retail Consortium (BRC), a trade body representing the UK’s biggest retailers, has urged Burnham to “buy into retail” as part of his pledge to back local communities [...]