Tube strikes driving you to drink? Good luck finding a pub that’s still open September 10, 2025 It’s not just frazzled commuters who’re suffering during the tube strike. London’s pubs – already under intolerable pressure from crushing business rates and burdensome and costly regulations – are taking another hit, says Emma McClarkin Listening to the radio this morning pushed home the far-reaching impact of the tube strike. We heard about a mother’s [...]
CBI boss calls for Rachel Reeves to break Labour’s tax pledge September 10, 2025 The boss of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has suggested the chancellor should tear up Labour’s manifesto pledge not to raise taxes on working people, as businesses brace themselves ahead of the Autumn Budget. Rachel Reeves is widely expected to introduce a fresh package of tax hikes in her 26 November Budget, in order [...]
Hard truths from Lord Rose and Badenoch the thorn September 10, 2025 Yesterday was a day for hard truths and straight talking. It began with City veteran Lord Rose who said the UK is “at the edge of a crisis.” The former M&S chief and Asda chair said that after working for more than 50 years, and despite a predisposition to optimism, he looks at the state [...]
Goldman Sachs: Tax increases will not improve public finances September 10, 2025 Chancellor Rachel Reeves has been warned by a leading Wall Street bank that hiking taxes later this year will not improve the state of public finances. Reeves is widely expected to raise taxes by at least £20bn at this year’s Autumn Budget, with property owners, gambling companies and pension pots likely to be hit with [...]
Janus Henderson’s Laura Foll on navigating UK equities and value investing September 10, 2025 Laura Foll is co-manager of the Lowland and Law Debenture investment trusts at Janus Henderson, as well as Janus Henderson’s UK Equity Income & Growth open-ended fund. Later this month, on 17 September, City AM is partnering with Law Debenture on its new financial education initiative, WIN, which aims to support those new to investing. [...]
Kemi Badenoch: Labour presiding over ‘tax doom loop’ September 9, 2025 Opposition leader Kemi Badenoch has accused the Labour government of leading the UK into an economic crisis of low growth and high spending, as she urged the government to prioritise deep welfare cuts over increasing taxes at the Autumn Budget. In a speech delivered to the Institute of Chartered Accountants’ Hall, Badenoch called out the [...]
Rachel Reeves defends Labour against bond market selloff September 9, 2025 Chancellor Rachel Reeves has launched a defence of Labour’s economic record and blamed her Tory predecessors for the mass selloff in the gilt market despite growing criticism of the government’s fiscal policies. In a parliamentary session before MPs, Reeves said the government had made “fully funded and fully costed” plans to support its £190bn splurge [...]
Tube strikes: Sadiq Khan urged to compensate hospitality sector September 9, 2025 Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has been told to ease the financial burden on the hospitality sector as firms face the crunch of tube strikes. Khan, who was criticised for his absence as the strikes got underway, has been urged to give the sector a “rent and rate holiday” so they can weather the strikes. [...]
UK economy dubbed ‘stagflation-lite’ as Starmer talks up ‘patriotic’ growth mission September 9, 2025 The UK economy is not expected to have recorded any growth in the month of July as leading analysts suggest that a lack of clarity over Labour’s future policies are hitting firms – despite a call from the prime minister for ministers to take on a “patriotic duty” to drive growth. Rachel Reeves and Keir [...]
Pret A Manger writes down value by a third amid £525m losses September 9, 2025 Pret A Manger has written off a third of the value it was handed after its 2018 acquisition by European investment group JAB as an uncertain UK economy puts pressure on the sandwich chain. The group made a £553m non-cash impairment to the £912m goodwill on its balance sheet created as part of the 2018 [...]