Death, taxes and family feuds: Why the UK’s courts are flooded with inheritance tax disputes June 17, 2025 With the rising cost of living, more and more people are relying on inheritance for their financial stability – and much more willing to go to court over a will, says Scott Taylor In an unsettling new trend, approximately 40 per cent of British adults are willing to consider challenging a will in court if [...]
Dunelm’s ‘market-beating’ potential hailed as shares rocket June 16, 2025 Dunelm has been hailed as a “coiled spring” by London broker Peel Hunt amid rising sales and its shares rocketing in recent weeks. The Leicester-headquartered retailer, which is a member of the FTSE 250 index, a “clear moat” compared to its competitors due to a combination of more products, more active customers and a much [...]
Bank of England expected to hold rates at 4.25 per cent June 15, 2025 The Bank of England is expected to hold interest rates at 4.25 per cent after inflation jumped in April and policymakers remain “nimble” to the evolving economic backdrop. Most economists think the Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) will opt to keep rates on hold when it meets on Thursday. The MPC has voted to cut [...]
Zelensky warns oil price surge could help Russia’s war efforts June 14, 2025 A sharp rise in global oil prices after Israeli strikes on Iran will benefit Russia and bolster its military capabilities in the war in Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky has said. The Ukrainian president told journalists in Kyiv that the surge in oil prices threatens Ukraine’s position on the battlefield, especially because western allies have not enforced [...]
Bob Bob Ricard boss: ‘Champagne is in our DNA’ June 12, 2025 Bob Bob Ricard has become that incredibly rare thing: a London restaurant that hasn’t been forced to close. It has outlasted a financial crash, a pandemic and a cost of living crisis, all because it is very, very good. The dining room is designed to make you feel like you’re careering through Europe on an [...]
Spending Review is a chance to escape managed decline – will Reeves take it? June 11, 2025 Instead of repeating the same lines we’ve heard at every Spending Review since the financial crash, Rachel Reeves should challenge fundamental assumptions about the role of the state, says Joe Hill Today the Chancellor will announce her first full Spending Review – allocating government budgets over the next three years. It’s a defining moment for [...]
Spending more on less: Premiumisation emerges as retail winner June 10, 2025 Most people will be familiar with retail premiumisation from the pandemic. Faced with a sudden boost in the number of Brits on furlough with time to spend looking for products, a number of retailers – partially luxury and alcohol retailers – bumped up their supply of more expensive, premium products. The strategy worked well, for [...]
Labour’s not for turning but the Inheritance Tax battle will rumble on June 5, 2025 Civil servants and politicians could not believe their eyes. As the hoarse grumble of diesel motors thundered along Whitehall, a fleet of tractors descended onto Parliament Square, heralded by a cacophony of honks to the tune of Aqua’s Barbie Girl. Beginning in November, farmers marched to Westminster to protest the government’s inheritance tax (IHT) reforms. [...]
‘Never again’: Shadow Chancellor apologises for Truss’ mini-budget June 5, 2025 Shadow Chancellor Mel Stride is set to apologise for the fallout from the 2022 mini-budget, vowing that “never again will the Conservative Party undermine fiscal credibility by making promises we cannot afford.” In a speech later today, Stride is expected to apologise on behalf of the Tory government for having “put at risk the very [...]
Government warned over demand for landlords to retrofit homes June 5, 2025 Government plans to improve the energy efficiency of private rented housing are “unachievable” due to a shortage of skilled workers, the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) has warned. Under current proposals by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), which are aimed at keeping homes warm and energy bills low, landlords have until [...]