Reeves to overhaul visa system for talented migrants in Davos pitch January 20, 2026 Chancellor Rachel Reeves is set to talk up new visa schemes aimed at highly-skilled migrants working in tech in a pitch to business leaders and top researchers gathered at Davos. Reeves is set to talk up the Labour government’s new immigration policies as she hopes to get the attention of some of the world’s richest [...]
House affordability offers first time buyers boost but Londoners lag behind January 20, 2026 Improved house affordability has sparked an uptick in first time buyer activity over the last year, but those on lower incomes remain shut out of the housing market. Affordability constraints eased slightly, due to declining mortgage rates and wage growth surpassing house price growth, bolstering buyer demand, particularly among those taking the first step onto [...]
Independent Football Regulator will use statutory powers to open club books January 20, 2026 The Independent Football Regulator says it will use statutory powers to open the books and assess the balance sheets of clubs across the English pyramid. The government quango, which has been up and running in its own right since November, has today published the proposed scope of its first in-depth analysis of men’s professional football [...]
Greg Jackson: London IPO a ‘no brainer’ if capital flows reverse January 19, 2026 Octopus chief Greg Jackson has said choosing London as the destination for the blockbuster IPO of tech spin-off Kraken would be a “no brainer” if the exchange maintains its world-leading performance in 2025 and demonstrates it can lure fresh capital into the UK. In the biggest signal yet that the firm may select London over [...]
UK retains investment appeal but CEO confidence falters January 19, 2026 The UK has strengthened its position as a global investment hub over the last twelve months, as it works to offset competition from other countries. Britain remained the second-most attractive destination for international investment for chief executives last year, according to the latest survey from PwC, but now shares the position with Germany and India. [...]
Kemi Badenoch tells Tory MPs: Don’t damage us from within January 19, 2026 Tory leader Kemi Badenoch has warned backbenchers not to damage the party “from within” as she called a meeting of MPs on Monday afternoon to address defections to Reform UK. Last week, Robert Jenrick and Andrew Rosindell, the shadow minister for foreign affairs under Badenoch’s leadership, announced they had quit to join Nigel Farage’s Reform. [...]
Firms warned to make ‘contingency plans’ amid £6bn tariff hit January 19, 2026 Businesses across the UK have been warned to draw up “contingency plans” in case President Trump follows through on imposing 10 per cent tariffs on imports from major European economies next month. British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) director general Shevaun Haviland warned businesses to prepare for the worst as the impact of US tariffs on [...]
High earners could be missing out on thousands in pension tax relief January 19, 2026 High earners could be at risk of losing a quarter of a million pounds in pension tax relief through failing to reclaim by the self-assessment tax return deadline. Brit ensnared in the £100,000 tax trap could see thousands of pounds slipping out of their grasp, as well as valuable free childcare support, according to wealth [...]
Inflation expected to inch back up due to travel rush January 19, 2026 Inflation is expected to edge back up as higher airfares and tobacco prices are squeezing British families’ budgets and adding to pressures on the cost of living. A Bloomberg poll of economists has predicted consumer price index (CPI) inflation to hit 3.3 per cent rate for the year to December, which would be higher than [...]
Gatwick’s £2.2bn second runway to be challenged in court January 19, 2026 Gatwick Airport’s £2.2bn second runway will be the focus of a legal challenge at the High Court on Tuesday, as an environmental group opposes the government’s decision to grant the approval. In September, Gatwick Airport’s second runway, the Northern Runway, received development consent from the transport secretary, Heidi Alexander. Gatwick has had a northern runway [...]
