FCA reviewing bank risk appetite to boost home ownership June 24, 2025 The Financial Conduct Authority has said it will review lenders’ risk-taking in its bid to boost home ownership. The City watchdog said it was seeking a “public conversation” on the “future of the mortgage market” as it looks to support economic growth through an overhaul on mortgage rules. An update to “responding lending rules” was [...]
One twist left in the PHP and KKR bidding war for Assura June 23, 2025 The Assura bidding war between KKR and PHP looked to be sealing its final chapter on Monday – but analysts warn there could be one more twist in the saga. Assura said on Monday it had recommended its board to accept a fresh cash offer from PHP, which valued the firm at £1.79bn. The deal [...]
‘Way too cheap’ – Tax experts question Reform’s £250K non-dom plan June 23, 2025 Reform UK’s new ‘Robin Hood’-style non-dom policy has been given a cool reception by top UK tax experts, who have branded it as “too cheap” and warned it could even cost the UK £34bn in lost tax revenue. Nigel Farage’s party, which currently tops the opinion polls, unveiled plans for a £250,000 flat tax regime [...]
PPHE unveils £90m plan to turn lap dancing club into luxury London hotel June 23, 2025 Hotel giant PPHE has unveiled plans to turn an east London lap dancing club into a huge new hotel as it continues its expansion in the capital. The London-listed firm today unveiled a £90m proposal to construct a 21-story tower on Leman Street in Whitechapel, which will feature 182 rooms, a restaurant, bar, gym and [...]
Premier Inn owner Whitbread sees UK sales falter amid shake-up of pub business June 19, 2025 Hospitality giant Whitbread has reported a downturn in UK sales amid a “challenging market backdrop” and a restructure of its pub and restaurant business. The Premier Inn-owner told markets this morning that overall sales in the UK fell five per cent in the first quarter of the financial year, driven by a 16 per cent [...]
UK suffers second highest fall in wealth of any major economy in 2024 June 19, 2025 Average wealth in Britain fell the second most of any major economy in 2024, according to a closely followed global study, piling fresh scrutiny on the country’s battle to stem an exodus of its wealthiest residents and kickstart its flagging economy. According to UBS’s annual Wealth Report, mean household wealth in Britain fell 3.6 per [...]
Number of UK homes worth more than a million has doubled since 2019 June 19, 2025 The number of homes in the UK priced at £1m or above has doubled since the start of the pandemic as the housing market continues its upward march. Just over five per cent of homes for sale across the UK are now priced at over a million pounds, versus just under three per cent in [...]
House prices slump in April: ‘Supply is beginning to outweigh demand’ June 18, 2025 UK house prices fell in April as affordability issues constrain demand following the end of the stamp duty holiday in March. House prices fell 2.7 per cent month on month in April, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Prices increased by 3.5 per cent to £265,000 in the 12 months to April 2025, [...]
Business rates to hammer the West End: ‘This whole policy is nuts’ June 16, 2025 A rise in business rates for more expensive properties is set to hammer valuable areas like London’s West End, a leading investment firm has warned. The policy, which aims to bring down business rates for small properties by raising them for large properties, has been slammed as “unlikely to save the high street” and likely [...]
What does 10 years of Trump mean for the West? June 16, 2025 It’s a decade since Donald Trump announced his intention to run for President but it’s still no clearer what he stands for or why he does anything he does, says Eliot Wilson Ten years ago today, property entrepreneur and reality television star Donald Trump descended a golden escalator in his palace of vulgarity, Trump Tower, [...]