Housebuilder Bellway calls for ‘immediate’ cut to stamp duty Property Housebuilder Bellway has called on the government to slash stamp duty immediately and roll out a first-time buyer scheme to revive Britain’s flagging housing industry. The FTSE 250 firm said on Tuesday that housing demand has been hammered by last year’s pre-Budget speculation and the recent rising mortgage rates triggered by the Iran war. Jason [...]
Gary Stevenson is right, rich people want to help Britain – here’s how to let them do it Opinion Gary Stevenson and the ‘Patriotic Millionaires’ plan for a wealth tax is the wrong way to get wealth working for Britain. Here’s three much better ideas, says Nick Finegold A fortnight ago, 120 millionaires, including Gary Stevenson and Gary Lineker, wrote to Andy Burnham asking to be taxed more. I do not doubt their sincerity. [...]
Metro Bank profit jumps as it bucks branch closure trend Banking Metro Bank secured its highest half-year profit on record in the first six months of 2026 as it bucked an industry-wide trend of branch closures and grew its small business offering. The FTSE 250 bank recorded a £60.7m pre-tax profit, up 41 per cent from the same period last year. This was driven by a [...]
Housebuilder shares rally on Iran war peace hopes and help-to-buy revival August 3, 2026 Shares in leading London’s listed housebuilders jumped on Monday as investors bet a potential Iran war peace deal and a mooted new help-to-buy scheme would provide a boon to Britain’s flagging property market. FTSE-100-listed Persimmon jumped more than four per cent to 1,152 while mid-cap Vistry gained six per cent to 310p on Monday. Analysts [...]
Rightmove: Housebuilders face worst conditions since financial crisis July 31, 2026 The boss of property portal Rightmove has warned that UK housebuilders are facing the worst conditions since the 2008 financial crash. Johan Svanstrom, the FTSE 250 firm’s chief executive, said on Friday that new home developments are at “historically low levels due to continued softer build rates”. The property platform said growth in its new [...]
KBRA Releases Research – KBRA-Rated European RMBS Exposure to Wildfires in Spain July 31, 2026 KBRA releases research assessing the potential exposure of KBRA-rated European residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS) transactions to the ongoing wildfires in Spain. Spain is confronting an exceptionally severe wildfire season, with approximately 173,000 hectares burnt from the start of the year through 28 July, nearly six times the amount recorded over the same period in 2025. [...]
House prices slump as Iran war and interest rates hit demand July 31, 2026 House prices slumped in July after the Iran war and higher interest rates squeezed demand and triggered a slowdown in sales. Annual house price growth slowed to 1.8 last month, down from 2.2 per cent the prior month. Month on month, average house prices remained broadly flat, rising by just £58 to reach £277,542, up [...]
Dream Industrial REIT Announces Entry Into U.K. Multi-Let Industrial Market and Growth of Strategic Private Ventures in Europe July 30, 2026 This press release contains forward-looking information that is based upon assumptions and is subject to risks and uncertainties as indicated in the cautionary note contained within this press release. All dollar amounts are in Canadian dollars unless otherwise indicated.
Arch Construction Risk Report Reveals Top Challenges Facing Sector Amid Rising Volatility July 30, 2026 Growing complexity and interconnected risks driving up insurance spend in construction.
Mortgage approvals inch up yet gains to be ‘retracted’ July 29, 2026 Mortgage approvals rose slightly in June, according to Bank of England data, yet growing fears of a rise in interest rates could set the property market back again. Net mortgage approvals climbed by around three per cent, from 56,565 in May to 58,200 in June. That remained below the six-month average of around 61,400, and [...]