‘A deeply broken system’: is it time England abandoned council tax?

In London, rates for Battersea power station’s £8m flats are still set with reference to its low-value past, and their rich owners pay less than householders in Hartlepool

People are poorer than at the last election and all Hunt can do is hope

Economic upticks are welcome but they won’t help the chancellor’s chances of retaining his seat

Dysfunction and division darken the WTO’s 30-year dream of free trade

As the organisation’s anniversary nears, borders around the world are closing again

From HS2 to the NHS, Britain doesn’t cut costs. Disastrously, it just cuts corners

Short-termist and kneejerk decisions to ‘balance the books’ always end up with the exchequer paying out more for less

Biden hails ‘America’s comeback’ as 303,000 new jobs in March beat forecast

Unemployment rate at 3.8% while job gains well above the 192,000 economists expected for the month

Thames Water parent ‘owes two Chinese state-owned banks’ as debt downgraded – as it happened

Live, rolling coverage of business, economics and financial markets as Fitch downgrades debt of parent of water company, saying default is likely

Brexit import charges may mean rise in food prices, say trade groups

Fees of up to £145 on EU animal and plant products through Dover and Folkestone begin on 30 April

UK Covid takeaway habits endure as fast food calorie intake remains high

Study shows delivery apps such as Deliveroo and Just Eat still popular after pandemic boom in orders

MP calls Royal Mail delivery cuts a ‘slap in the face for families’ – as it happened

Live, rolling coverage of business, economics and financial markets as UK postal service says it wants to cut 1,000 jobs and cut delivery days

Jump in domestic orders ends two-year UK manufacturing dip

Output improves to 20-month high in March and rate of job losses slows

Inflation in UK shops drops to lowest level in two years

Retailers cut the price of Easter treats, clothing and electrical items as consumer spending slowed

Can this ‘ethical capitalist’ solve the UK’s social housing crisis?

Julian Richer, a landlord himself, says markets have created only disaster and the nation must shift from its focus on ownership

The UK is trapped in a cycle of political, social and financial turmoil. But there is a way out…

The Conservatives’ pernicious reign, defined by a toxic belief in self-organising markets, has brought Britain to its knees. But we now have an opportunity to turn things around

Rachel Reeves the chess player has an eye on the economic endgame

The shadow chancellor is often criticised for her centrist positions, but Labour’s plan for a long-term rescue is a vital difference between the parties

Michael Gove has ‘zero sympathy’ for ‘arrogant’ Thames Water in funding crisis – as it happened

Live, rolling coverage of business, economics and financial markets as minister says water company’s leadership has been a ‘disgrace’