Labour revives Northern Powerhouse Rail project with pledge of £45bn funds

Plan will start with TransPennine upgrade with new line connecting Liverpool and Manchester in second phase

China forecast to have sold one in every 10 new cars in UK in 2025

Carmakers such as MG, BYD and Chery are set to pass 200,000 mark in sales, analysis suggests, double 2024’s total

Zack Polanski offering voters fantasy solutions, says head of Fabian Society

Joe Dromey, head of the Labour thinktank, urges his party to take on the ‘twin populisms’ of Reform UK and the Greens

UK consumers still reluctant to spend going into 2026, KPMG survey finds

Combination of concern about economy and household cost pressures will continue to limit spending, report suggests

‘They can open doors’: the community-based project helping people into work in Teesside

Stockton’s JobsPlus is a pilot scheme with caseworkers who connect individual people with potential jobs, providing direct financial help where necessary

End of shareholder revolt register ‘will help UK firms bury pay controversies’

Fears for transparency and governance after closure of public log meant to curb ‘abuses and excess’ in boardrooms

Labour is living in a fool’s paradise if it thinks it has plenty of time to turn Britain around

Going into 2026, the economy has little forward momentum and things may get worse before they get better, says Guardian columnist Larry Elliott

Rachel Reeves sets early March date for spring statement as OBR prepares forecast

Treasury announces 3 March date to prioritise ‘stability and certainty’ after criticism of buildup to November budget

Britain’s economy has been damaged by Brexit. But what should ministers do about it?

The idea of a customs union has gained traction, but agreeing a deal would be far from straightforward

UK consumers saving less as taxes squeeze incomes, data shows

ONS finds households’ savings ratio has dropped to lowest rate for more than a year across third quarter

UK economy entering 2026 amid sharp private sector downturn, says CBI

Business lobby survey finds firms ‘put brakes on key spending decisions’ before autumn budget

There are reasons to be cheerful about UK plc in 2026. Here are four

From better prospects for consumer spending to tentative signs of improving productivity, the doom and gloom of 2025 could be behind us

Alan Milburn to review rise in youth minimum wage

Exclusive: Blair-era minister echoes concerns about young people being priced out of jobs, in intervention likely to dismay Labour MPs

UK borrowed more than expected in November amid pre-budget pressure

ONS figures show public sector net borrowing was £11.7bn – £1.9bn less than in same month last year

Young people will suffer most from UK’s ageing population, Lords say

House of Lords report says tools such as raising pension age and increasing immigration will not be adequate