Government urged to expand auto-enrolment to prevent pension poverty August 21, 2025 The UK’s auto-enrolment contribution scheme should be reformed to prevent more workers slipping into retirement poverty, the Society of Pension Professionals (SPP) has said. In its latest paper, the SPP has called on the Pension Commission, which was revived in July, to consider changing auto-enrolment rates and look at factors causing weak levels of pension saving. While [...]
Inside Finsbury Circus Gardens, the City’s biggest green space August 20, 2025 Our Toast the City Awards are celebrating the City’s top spots and takes place this October. This week: the redesigned Finsbury Circus Gardens. If the Square Mile were to be designed today, it would feature a lot more green space. It wasn’t until the middle of the last century that architects realised the importance of nature in [...]
Rachel Reeves considers ‘mansion tax’ on homes above £1.5m August 20, 2025 Chancellor Rachel Reeves is looking at imposing capital gains tax on the sale of houses above £1.5m as she looks to fill a £40bn hole in the public finances. The change, which would likely happen at this year’s Autumn Budget, would see higher-rate taxpayers pay 24 per cent of the value of any gain they [...]
IWG boss labels double-digit share price dive ‘not rational’ August 19, 2025 Shares in International Workspace Group (IWG) dropped more than 15 per cent today after a disappointing half-year trading update from the office provider. It was the worst day for the world’s largest provider of serviced office space since the first day of lockdown in March 2020. But boss Mark Dixon said the share price drop [...]
Just how many non-doms are leaving the UK? August 19, 2025 Since the Chancellor announced her non-dom crackdown, advisers, campaign groups and economists have warned an exodus of wealthy foreigners is afoot. But after a report claimed that departures were less extreme than feared, Ali Lyon digs into the data. There are lies, damned lies, and statistics. Popularised by Mark Twain, the phrase describes people’s tendency [...]
Reeves mulls ‘punishingly high’ new property taxes August 18, 2025 Chancellor Rachel Reeves is considering replacing stamp duty with a new national property tax on homes above £500,000, according to fresh reports. Senior ministers in the Treasury have been asked to study how a new “proportional” levy could be implemented and to model its impact ahead of potential tax changes in the Autumn Budget, The [...]
The Grand Whisk(e)y Tour: An ultra-exclusive whisky experience August 18, 2025 Luxury and Scotch whisky go hand-in-hand, and now two of the most prominent players in the whisky space have teamed up to offer a truly one-of-a-kind experience. The brainchild of Chivas Brothers, the Scotch whisky arm of drinks giant Pernod Ricard and Midleton Very Rare, the most exclusive offering from Irish Distillers, also a subsidiary [...]
Rightmove: Average price tag on home has fallen £10,000 over summer August 18, 2025 The average price tag on a home has tumbled by more than £10,000 across the summer, falling by nearly £5,000 month-on-month in August alone, according to a property website. Across Britain, the average price of a home coming to market fell by 1.3 per cent, or £4,969, month-on-month in August to stand at £368,740, Rightmove [...]
AI to help slash NHS hospital discharge delays, officials say August 16, 2025 Technology is being piloted to help free up NHS hospital beds which are occupied by people fit to be sent home, officials have announced. The platform uses artificial intelligence (AI) to help complete the documents needed to discharge patients, potentially saving hours of delays. The move will allow doctors to spend less time on paperwork [...]
Here are five British tech startups to look out for August 14, 2025 A new cohort of Future Fifty tech firms is demonstrating exponential growth and attracting significant investment, reinforcing London’s position as a hub for dynamic scale-ups in this space. These companies are making headlines across diverse sectors, from AI to environmental technology. The talent is emerging from UK universities, but the challenge for these firms is [...]