New Years sport supplement buying adds to January retail sales surge

The FTSE 100 index has climbed above 10,000 points for the first time, passing a significant stock market milestone, on the first trading day of the year. Shares included in the index performed strongly in 2025, leaving the benchmark more than 21% higher than a year ago, when it stood at just over 8,260. Rising…

Chris Mason,Political editor and Kate Whannel,Political reporter House of Commons Chancellor Rachel Reeves has decided against raising income tax rates at the Budget later this month. In recent weeks, Reeves had given strong indications she would increase the tax – a move that would have broken Labour’s election manifesto promise not to raise “the basic,…