UK refrains from hitting high street on Black Friday as fears grow over economy

Data comes as KPMG highlights soft consumer spending as one factor likely to hold back growth in 2026

There are those on the left and right who offer only grievance: Labour is getting on with the job of economic renewal

Judge last week’s budget in the light of our bold plans to sweep away red tape, tackle inactivity among young people and pursue a closer trading relationship with the EU, says prime minister Keir Starmer

Starmer leads fightback as budget row rumbles on for Reeves

The prime minister is keen to change the conversation after the Tories called his chancellor’s ethics into question

Your Party is voted to be called … Your Party, Jeremy Corbyn announces – UK politics as it happened

Former Labour leader announces official name at conference in Liverpool after vote by members

The Guardian view on the inequality emergency: why a Nobel prize winner’s warning must be heeded

Editorial: Rising economic division is destabilising nations and eroding accountability. Joseph Stiglitz’s G20 blueprint offers a way toward global economic renewal

England’s water industry issued £10.5bn in ‘green bonds’ despite pollution record

River Action says use of issuance tied to environmental benefits is ‘corporate greenwash on steroids’

Expect a tale of two holiday seasons as the well-off spend and the rest pull back

Parts of the US economy are doing just fine but many are struggling to make rent, let alone splurging on gifts

Bakery chain Gail’s plans to open 40 more outlets as sales soar

Sales rose to £278m in last finanical year but profit margins were hit by increasing staff and energy costs

The ‘squeezed middle’ is back – and this time it could be Labour’s undoing

Last week’s budget left middle-income families anxious and angry. The party is turning its back on voters it can little afford to lose, says Guardian columnist John Harris

Is gen Z’s love of fried chicken pushing Britain to ‘peak pizza’?

Competition intensifies as former chief of Domino’s says days of ‘massive growth’ are over

Net migration is plummeting. Why can’t Labour say so?

An honest debate is needed on this polarising topic as sectors such as social care struggle with recruitment

Harrods warehouse staff underpaid by thousands of pounds after agency error

Pay mistake is latest setback to image of exclusive Qatar-owned London retailer after a series of crises

Shopping for Christmas bargains? Beware the ‘spray and pay’ parcel delivery fraud

Criminals send thousands of texts about an undelivered bargain buy and ask for a redelivery fee in a bid to mine your data and bank details

Water shortages could derail UK’s net zero plans, study finds

Tensions grow after research in England finds there may not be enough water for planned carbon capture and hydrogen projects

Radical Reeves? The chancellor’s mansion tax is a small but brave step forward

The high-value council tax surcharge may only raise £400m but it’s the best opportunity for a bigger, fairer tax on wealth