High Court grants urgent hearing on Labour’s inheritance tax overhaul January 28, 2026 The High Court has green-lit an urgent hearing at the High Court over the government’s inheritance tax raid on agricultural assets and family firms. The proposed changes to agricultural property relief (APR) and business property relief (BPR) represent one of the biggest shifts in UK inheritance tax (IHT) policy in decades, following the government’s initial [...]
Hakluyt taps Lord Sedwill and Economist’s Lara Boro for board roles January 28, 2026 Lord Mark Sedwill and the Economist Group’s chief executive officer have joined the board of strategic advisory firm Hakluyt. Lord Sedwill, the former cabinet secretary and head of the Home Civil Service under both Prime Ministers Theresa May and Boris Johnson, also served as a national security adviser. The company describes him as “one of [...]
LIV Golf lands Rolex partnership in major boost ahead of fifth season January 28, 2026 LIV Golf has struck another blow in its battle for mainstream recognition by securing the backing of one of the sport’s biggest sponsors, Rolex. The luxury watch brand, which already has deals with the leading men’s and women’s majors, tours and both the Ryder and Solheim Cups, has become an official partner of the LIV [...]
Banks cool on interest rate cut expectations amid forecasting clash January 28, 2026 Top City banks have pushed back their predictions for the Bank of England’s next interest rate cut as forecasters are split on whether high inflation could upend monetary policy decisions. UBS Investment Bank economist Anna Titareva pushed back a call for the Bank’s next cut from February to March after the Office for National Statistics [...]
Coral ditches Cheltenham Festival as Reeves tax rises on gambling bite January 28, 2026 Betting giant Coral has ditched the Cheltenham Festival after over 50 years due to government taxes on gambling. Duty on UK horse racing wagers was exempted from Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ Budget last autumn but taxes on remote sports betting will be hiked from 15 per cent to 25 per cent in 2027. Coral’s parent firm [...]
Dollar slides as ‘loss of confidence’ in US policy spikes debasement fears January 28, 2026 The US dollar had its worst day since President Donald Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’ tariff onslaught on Tuesday as investors dumped their exposure to the greenback. The DXY index – which tracks the dollar against a basket of other currencies – has slumped over two per cent since the beginning of the year. Amidst the dollar [...]
Ministers urged to extend ‘nightmare’ deadline for paying inheritance tax January 28, 2026 The UK government has set an unrealistic deadline for inheritance tax payments on unused pensions, a House of Lords committee has warned. The House of Lords economic affairs committee urged the government to extend the deadline for pension fund personal representatives, who are typically estate executors, from six months to 12 months. The committee argued [...]
The Debate: Should Brits be more optimistic? January 28, 2026 Pessimism is a great British tradition, but some think it's holding the economy back. Should Brits be more optimistic?
To rebuild Britain we should start with Hammersmith Bridge January 28, 2026 Handsome, historic but functionally broken, Hammersmith Bridge has come to symbolise Britain's problems, writes Felix Pivcevic.
Starmer warned on ‘severe’ risk of trading with China January 28, 2026 Keir Starmer has been warned about the “severe” risk of trading with China as he said building economic relations with the world’s second largest economy would drive growth. The Prime Minister landed in Beijing on Wednesday for meetings with Chinese officials including President Xi Jinping in the coming days. He has been joined by City [...]