Ministers to offer business rates relief to pubs after backlash January 8, 2026 Panicked ministers are poised to water down the business rates bombshell faced by pubs, after an aggressive backlash from the industry saw over a thousand landlords ban Labour MPs from their premises. The government is expected to announce an overhaul to the way it calculates business rates for pubs within days, which it says will [...]
Rates row shows how little Labour understands business January 8, 2026 Whether it’s your after work favourite or your home local – whether you drink or not – everyone has a favourite pub. But the sector is facing a crisis – and we know whose fault it is. We also know the challenges facing British pubs reflect a bigger problem in the relationship between this government [...]
It’s time for Starmer to choose: is he a lawyer or a leader? January 8, 2026 The international, rules-and-rights-based order is crumbling in the face of Trump’s brute force. This leaves career human rights lawyer Keir Starmer in an interesting position… A Venezuelan friend once showed me a small purse made out of folded and woven 100,000 Bolivar notes. These would be sold to tourists for a few dollars as their [...]
Bosses hold up wage growth expectations amid inflation tensions January 8, 2026 Company bosses have cut their wage growth expectations for the year ahead, Bank of England data has suggested, with inflation pressures on Britons easing. Finance chiefs across private sector firms are set to raise wages by smaller amounts than seen in the last year, which could sway some Bank policymakers to lower borrowing costs further. [...]
Former Hargreaves Lansdown head of money Susannah Streeter to join Wealth Club January 8, 2026 One of the City’s best-known market commentators has jumped ship to Wealth Club to become the firm’s new chief investment strategist. Susannah Streeter, who previously worked at Hargreaves Lansdown for five years, will take up her position at the investment service, which is aimed at assisting high net worth individuals from 12 January. Streeter will lead [...]
Peter Mandelson handed back £1.3m from consulting firm he founded January 8, 2026 A consulting firm founded by Peter Mandelson handed back £1.3m to the House of Lords peer prior to his departure from the business, the firm’s latest accounts reveal. Global Counsel, a London-based public policy consultancy launched by Mandelson in 2016, had been lent £1m by the disgraced politician with interest paid “at commercial rates,” white [...]
Badenoch accuses Starmer of lying as Abramovich row erupts January 8, 2026 Kemi Badenoch has accused Keir Starmer of lying about her shadow attorney general Lord Wolfson amid a furious row about funds in Roman Abramovich’s frozen bank account designated for Ukraine. Starmer took aim at Lord Wolfson, who has recused himself from offering the Tory leader advice on Ukraine and Russia due to his own legal [...]
Greggs shares tumble as baker gets burnt by flaky economy January 8, 2026 Shares in Greggs took a tumble on Thursday morning after “disappointing” sales growth from a subdued economy left investors with little to cheer for. The chain’s total sales in the golden quarter rose 7.4 per cent as it opened 207 new shops in the last 12 months leading to a net gain of 121 new [...]
House prices expected to rise in 2026 after December dip January 8, 2026 UK house prices slipped slightly in December, as affordability issues and the fallout from the Autumn Budget dampened buyer appetite, but industry figures expect the market to pick up in 2026. House prices fell 0.6 per cent in the final month of 2025, bringing prices down by a further £1,789, following a 0.1 per cent [...]
Labour MP Callum Anderson: Securing Starmer’s visit to London Stock Exchange took months January 8, 2026 We dig into the memory bank of the City's great and good. Today, it's Labour MP and former London Stock Exchange adviser Callum Anderson.
