Public officials ‘not truthful’ about ‘fantasy’ net zero costs January 13, 2026 Net zero is set to cost the UK economy billions of pounds more than public officials estimate, a new report has suggested, raising questions over the supposed savings to be made from the energy transition for households and businesses. A new paper published by the Institute of Economic Affairs, a free market think tank, has [...]
UBS scouting for new top boss with Sergio Ermotti to exit next year January 13, 2026 UBS Group is on the hunt for a new chief executive with the banking giant’s current top boss lined up for an exit next year. Sergio Ermotti, who has led the near-£112bn bank since he was rehired in 2023, is expected to depart in April 2027. The veteran financier had pledged to lead UBS “at [...]
FTSE 100 Live: UBS to get new boss; Premier Inn leaseback deal January 13, 2026 Good morning from the Morning Wire liveblog team. What’s an easy way to tell apart a developed country from a less developed one? One straightforward yardstick is the behaviour of state institutions and their relationship to government. If they are well run, they are operated by professionals independently from the executive. Or – the executive [...]
VAT-free shopping debacle has sent tourists packing January 13, 2026 Five years on from the demise of VAT-free shopping, retail and hospitality chiefs say the impact is still causing pain as the industry seeks change, writes Joanna Hodgson Five years ago this month a change came in that might, on the surface , have prompted the average British shopper to get their smallest violins out: [...]
Why the FTSE is enjoying a winter uptick January 13, 2026 Amid AI bubble worries, London's FTSE is luring in American investors seeking greater diversification, writes Susannah Streeter.
Labour talked big, but London housing starts are worst since WW2 January 13, 2026 Labour may have talked big on housing and planning reform, but the figures don't lie, writes Emma Revell.
HENRYs set for further Budget blow as more dragged into £100K tax trap January 13, 2026 Thousands more UK workers are set to be pulled into the £100,000 tax trap as high earners brace for a further financial squeeze. The number of Brits earning six-figure salaries is set to surpass two million for the first time according to estimates from HMRC obtained by Rathbones, leaving more high earners to face the [...]
Trump’s reckless assault on central bank independence January 13, 2026 Donald Trump once said he values loyalty “above everything else…more than brains, more than drive and more than energy.” If you’re wondering how he responds to perceived disloyalty, he’s also previously said “I love getting even with people.” With these two statements in mind, the Trump administration’s dramatic escalation of its war against the Chairman [...]
London families to shoulder nearly a quarter of all inheritance tax bills January 13, 2026 Families in London and the South East coughed up nearly half of all UK inheritance tax receipts, amid a continued climb in property prices. Londoners paid the greatest share of the unpopular levy, at 23 per cent, narrowly ahead of the South East at 22 per cent. This was followed by the South West, but [...]
Uber drivers plot exodus as platform swerves ‘taxi tax’ January 13, 2026 Uber is staring down the barrel of a potential driver exodus as members of its fleet threaten to jump ship to rival apps or return to black cabs, following a new year contractual overhaul designed to swerve a huge VAT bill. Documents seen by Morning Wire show a wave of fury in private messaging groups, [...]