Government backs plans to digitise homebuying November 20, 2025 Labour has backed a new initiative to “revolutionise” homebuying by embracing technologies, with failed deals costing the economy nearly £1bn every year. The project will see the Centre for Finance, Innovation and Technology (CFIT) work in coalition with multiple government departments, including the department for business and trade and the ministry for housing. The initiative [...]
Reeves to give go-ahead to DLR Thamesmead extension at Budget November 20, 2025 Rachel Reeves is set to give the green light to a proposal to extend the Docklands Light Railway to Thamesmead in a major expansion of London’s transport network. The move, which would mark the first extension to a London train line since the Overground extension to Barking Riverside in July 2022, promises to create 10,000 [...]
Cabbies spark new war against Uber on tax loophole November 20, 2025 Cabbies have demanded Chancellor Racheel Reeves close a tax loophole used by Uber. Taxi drivers have written to the Chancellor asking her to make Uber pay the same level of VAT as black cabs, blaming lobbying efforts by the company for misleading the Treasury and the UK public on its perks. The Licensed Taxi Drivers’ [...]
The London LISA problem November 19, 2025 ISAs are set for a starring role in next week’s Budget as Chancellor Rachel Reeves searches for ways to kickstart economic growth. The Treasury is reportedly mulling a slash to the cash ISA ceiling from £20,000 to £10,000 to stop Brits hoarding cash, and encourage investment into domestic stocks. Dividends are also potentially in the [...]
London, Manchester and Edinburgh to bear the brunt of mansion tax November 19, 2025 A mansion tax in next week’s Budget could stifle property markets and disproportionately harm homeowners in London, Manchester and Edinburgh, tax experts have warned. Rachel Reeves is reportedly planning a mansion tax raid on high-value properties, as she takes a “smorgasbord” approach to the Budget after last week’s dramatic income tax U-turn. The Chancellor has [...]
Interactive Investor abandons retail campaign in fresh blow to Rachel Reeves November 19, 2025 Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ plans to increase investment in the UK stock market has been hit with a fresh blow, as Britain’s second largest retail investment platform pulls out of the government backed marketing campaign. Interactive Investor, which is owned by London listed investment manager Aberdeen, has become the latest well known name to abandon the [...]
How the Square Mile is taking the fight to the fraudsters November 19, 2025 Fraud has towered over our economy for too long and has reached the highest levels since first measured in the crime survey for England and Wales. This deceitful crime now represents 44 per cent of all offences or 4.1 million incidents, with more than £1 billion lost to fraud last year alone. Behind those numbers [...]
Reeves’ Budget will fail to rescue public finances, top bank predicts November 19, 2025 Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ upcoming Budget will not live up to market hopes of fiscal caution nor will it solve problems around high government expenditure, analysts at a leading City bank have warned. Reeves has said she intends to build a larger fiscal buffer than £9.9bn in order to “absorb shocks” next week while the Budget [...]
Britain’s business spirit still alive at Global Entrepreneurship Week November 19, 2025 There is more to be done to smooth the path for future founders, but Britain should be proud of its strong pool of entrepreneurs, writes Timothy Barnes.
Lloyds to acquire London fintech in bid to grow digital offerings November 19, 2025 Lloyds Banking Group is acquiring London based fintech Curve, as it looks to boost its digital offerings and compete against popular challenger banks. Curve, which was founded in 2015, operates as a digital payment wallet which combines all debit and credit cards alongside alternative payment sources, such as cryptocurrency, onto a single platform. The platform [...]