Switzerland has rejected wealth taxes: Westminster should take note December 17, 2025 Swiss voters have overwhelmingly rejected a proposed 50 per cent inheritance tax, proving that individuals in a democracy understand that confidence in a jurisdiction can evaporate quickly, says Tim Focas Swiss voters have issued one of the clearest democratic verdicts on wealth and capital in recent memory. Last month, more than eight in ten rejected [...]
Housing market set for ‘return to normality’ after year of uncertainty December 16, 2025 UK house prices have dropped around £2,000 in the last year despite improved access to mortgages and lower interest rates. The average price of a home in the four weeks to 6 December was £358,138, which is 0.6 per cent ( £2,059) lower than the same period a year ago, according to Rightmove. Last year, meanwhile, house [...]
UK investors spooked by tax hikes on dividends and savings December 16, 2025 Rachel Reeves’ Budget decisions have raised alarm bells among DIY investors after they were hit with tax hikes and cuts to incentives, despite the Chancellor’s aim to push more funds into public markets. Over 70 per cent of investors said they were concerned about the increased basic and higher rates of taxes on dividends, property [...]
Private landowner sends Lime an £8k bill as e-bike row escalates December 16, 2025 A London property firm has invoiced Lime nearly £8,000 for removing, storing and returning dockless e-bikes left on its private land, City AM understands, amid struggles to contain the capital’s bike clutter problem. Russell Gray, director of property firm Shiva Ltd, personally returned around ten Lime bikes to the firm’s depot on Thursday, handing staff [...]
Mickey Mouse puts copyright woes to bed with Disney-OpenAI deal December 16, 2025 Disney’s $1bn investment in OpenAI, coupled with a three year licensing deal for over 200 Disney, Marvel, Pixar, and Star Wars characters on Sora, constitutes a seismic shift in how Hollywood thinks about content creation and copyright. Last week’s announcement, long anticipated since CEO Bog Iger hinted at AI plans, marks the first time a [...]
Winston & Strawn and Taylor Wessing UK to Combine, Creating a Premier Transatlantic Law Firm December 15, 2025 Winston Taylor to build on shared vision and culture in establishing a transatlantic powerhouse for major litigation, critical transactions, strategic IP, and private wealth
FCA to ‘rebalance’ risk in mortgage market in first time buyer boost December 15, 2025 The UK’s financial watchdog is planning a major overhaul of mortgage market rules in a bid to support more Brits getting on the housing ladder. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) said it aims to “rebalance risk” in the market to encourage innovation and allow a greater number of people to get access to finance. “Rebalancing [...]
Christmas attractions face sharp rise in property taxes after Budget December 15, 2025 London’s Winter Wonderland and Hamleys are set to be hit by sharp jumps in their property taxes from next year as UK Christmas attractions come under pressure from next year’s business rates overhaul. Analysis of official figures has shown that a raft of Christmas attractions, markets and destination-led retail will face increases in business rates [...]
First time buyer borrowing jumps a third in 2025 December 13, 2025 Borrowing by first time buyers has increased by just under a third year on year as access to finance loosened and Brits rushed to get on the housing ladder. Mortgage lenders forwarded a record £82.8bn of mortgage debt to 390,000 first time buyers in the year to September 2025, according to analysis by Savills, a [...]
Sumer Group, champions of SMEs, leading the way towards economic growth December 12, 2025 They tackled Brexit head-on, survived Covid, coped with the impact of the war in Ukraine and battled rising costs. The latest growth forecast from the Office for Budget Responsibility presents a further challenge with the OBR reducing their expectations for productivity growth by 0.3ppts to 1 per cent. In times of uncertainty these businesses have [...]