17 h. ago Grinch Rachel Reeves has announced a wave of tax rises in her Grim Reaper Budget

The Chancellor's brutal Budget hikes to fund £30billion will include a mansion tax on expensive homes, 20% VAT slapped on private taxi fares and a £3billion raid on pensions

Economics

17 h. ago Grinch Rachel Reeves clobbers UK with a wave of tax rises in her Grim Reaper Budget

The Chancellor's brutal Budget hikes to fund £30billion will include a mansion tax on expensive homes, 20% VAT slapped on private taxi fares and a £3billion raid on pensions

Economics

20 h. ago Government targets expensive homes and landlords with property taxes

Experts said the new high value council tax surcharge, dubbed a ‘mansion tax’, could have knock-on effects for the property market.

Politics

20 h. ago Property income tax to rise as raid on expensive homes is confirmed

From April 2027, a 2 percentage point increase will be applied to basic, higher and additional rates

Society

21 h. ago Budget 2025: Reeves hammers London in £26billion tax grab hitting homeowners, renters, landlords and workers

Middle income workers, renters and the owners of expensive homes will be hit with tax hikes, but the poorest families and low paid employees got a Budget boost

Economics

22 h. ago Autumn Budget 2025 major 'mansion tax' announcement and how it could impact property market

The UK's most expensive homes are set to be hit with a new high value council tax surcharge

Economics

44 h. ago JD Vance might want to run in 2028 – but does he have a Palantir

The VP wouldn’t be where he is today without the patronage of the Palantir co-founder Peter Thiel. But with voters becoming more and more concerned about the firm’s surveillance tech, could that relationship affect his chances? The US is the land of the free and the home of the world’s most expensive, and most excruciatingly drawn-out, elections. In most democracies, the election cycle lasts just a few weeks or months. In most democracies there are strict laws regulating how long politicians can campaign, and how much money political parties can accept. But the US is not most democracies. Continue reading...

Politics

45 h. ago Council tax bands explained and could you be hit by 'mansion tax' in Budget?

Rachel Reeves is said to be planning to revalue 2.4million the most expensive band F, G and H homes as part of her Budget

Economics

48 h. ago Belgravia 'giga mansion' listed for £110 million is one of London's most expensive homes for sale

Renovations of the Grade I-listed Belgravia mansion are still ongoing

Economics

65 h. ago The Guardian view on UN climate talks: they reveal how little time is left | Editorial

A fragile Cop30 consensus is a win. But only a real bargain between rich and poor nations can weather the climate shocks that are comingThis year’s UN climate talks in Brazil’s Belém ended without a major breakthrough. The text of the final agreement lacked a deal to shift away from fossil fuels, delayed crucial finance and the “mutirão” decision contained no roadmap to halt and reverse deforestation. But the multilateral system at Cop30 held together at a point when its collapse felt close. This ought to be a warning: next year’s conference of the parties must strike a better bargain between the rich and poor world.Developing countries are far from united on some issues. Over rare earth minerals China sees any move as targeting its dominance, while Africa sees it as essential for governance. Elsewhere petrostates did not support Colombia’s call for a fossil fuel phase-out. Yet the global south broadly coheres around a simple principle: its nations must be equipped to survive a clim...

Politics

3 d. ago Thousands of Londoners 'to be hit by new expensive homes tax surcharge' in Budget

The Chancellor will reportedly hit homeowners with properties worth more than £2million with a levy that could raise £400-£450 million

Economics

3 d. ago £110 million 'giga mansion' in Belgrave Square will become one of London's most expensive homes

Property 17 Belgrave Square has an illustrious history stretching back centuries and is Grade I listed, making it a desirable home for some of the world's richest individuals.

Economics

7 d. ago London homebuyers have paid almost £25billion in stamp duty in last decade

Successive Chancellors have ramped up stamp duty rates on more expensive homes

Economics

7 d. ago Rachel Reeves under pressure to scale back Budget raid on expensive homes

Labour MPs warn chancellor that a possible £1.5mn threshold for new levy would be too low

Events

7 d. ago Reeves under pressure to scale back Budget raid on expensive homes

Labour MPs warn chancellor that a possible £1.5mn threshold for the new levy would be too low

Events

7 d. ago Tumble dryers are more efficient if you do one thing before switching them on

Tumble dryers are one of the most expensive home appliances to run, but there is actually an easy way to make them more efficient

Politics

8 d. ago Lack of planning has hit Labour’s efforts to fix public services, says thinktank

Keir Starmer accused of failing to adequately strategise while in opposition, leading to uncoordinated policymaking Keir Starmer is failing to make major improvements to public services partly because he did not plan properly while in opposition, according to a report from the Institute for Government (IfG).The prime minister went into government without a clear idea about how to achieve his targets, the IfG found, resulting in haphazard attempts to reform various sectors, from the health service to the courts. Continue reading...

Events

1 week ago Sales of Expensive Homes Fall on Fears Ahead of Rachel Reeves Budget

Sales of Expensive Homes Fall on Fears Ahead of Rachel Reeves Budget  Bloomberg.com

Economics

1 week ago Wes Streeting accused of ‘chaotic and incoherent approach’ to NHS reform

Exclusive: thinktank report finds health secretary has failed to improve productivity, with the health service unlikely to meet its targetsWes Streeting has been accused of taking a “chaotic and incoherent approach” to reforming the NHS which makes it unlikely the government will hit its own targets, according to a damning report by the Institute for Government (IfG).The report praises elements of how the health secretary has managed the health service in his first year in office, including improving performance and staff retention in hospitals. Thepay settlement he reached with resident doctors last year avoided a winter plagued by NHS strikes Continue reading...

Politics

1 week ago I tried the cheapest and most expensive supermarket ready meals — one tasted homemade

Ready meals are extremely handy when you're in need of a meal fast — is there a difference between the cheapest and most expensive?

Politics