Labour could be knocked off course as it sticks to £40bn mission

The government’s pact with voters relies on it delivering on its promise of growth but the early omens are unsettling

Liz Kendall says young people who won’t take up work will lose benefits

Work and pensions secretary says she will transform opportunities as Starmer bemoans ‘bulging benefits bill’

Pay gap between bosses and employees must be reduced, UK workers say

Poll reveals appetite for rethinking relationship between the boardroom and low or middle earners

Without the EU, the joke is on us if Trump gets his tariffs

Stronger ties with the single market is the only way to stop the president-elect from having the last laugh

Remember the global financial crisis? Well, high-risk securities are back

The shadow banking sector is trying its hand at trading in debt-based products such as collateralised loan obligations

Voters must learn to accept that Britain’s challenges are too big to solve straight away

Labour has got off to a shaky start in government. It’s time it told the truth about the state we’re in

Daily Mirror and OK! magazine to merge staff

Merging of daily newspaper and celebrity magazine employees is latest move by owner, Reach, to cut costs

‘Sitting with their head in their hands’: farm equipment suppliers fear for impact of budget

Traders at a big machinery show say inheritance tax changes affecting the rural economy have had an immediate impact on business

Jaguar boss defends new ad and rebrand amid ‘vile hatred’ online

Social media clip features models in colourful clothing but no car in what Rawdon Glover describes as a ‘reimagining’

Surrealism, cafes and lots (and lots) of cats: why Japanese fiction is booming

From tales of alienation to comforting novels set in bookshops, Japanese authors have written nearly half of this year’s bestselling translated novels in the UK. What’s their secret?

Doorscaping and stir-up Sunday: how Christmas traditions are changing

Britons are picking porchscaping over puddings but will the Royal Mint’s silver sixpence feed a revival?

Energy bills, mortgages, food: will cost of living surge again under Labour?

The government claims to be fixing the economy but households may face more pressure in the months ahead

UK bank fraud victims could face £100 excess on refund claims

Despite new rules, many lenders have decided to implement the optional exemption

Spain’s floods force some UK sellers to buy oranges from southern hemisphere

British suppliers source from South Africa and South America as Spanish farmers struggle to harvest and ship

Scott Bessent: billionaire hedge-fund manager who is ‘all in’ for Trump

The 62-year-old treasury nominee has spent his career in finance, and made a big bet on Trump winning the election