Rishi's time to shine

The 1-minute read to get the money news you need with expert adviser commentary.

Spending review

Today, the chancellor Rishi Sunak will lay out the government’s spending plans for the months ahead. So far, he’s promised £4.6 billion to tackle unemployment and £3 billion to help the NHS get through a backlog of delayed operations. He’ll also talk about the state of the economy in the wake of the pandemic, and spending cuts and tax rises to claw back the costs of coping with it.

More completions in London

Completed home purchases have risen 6% in the capital, compared to last year. In most other places in the country, completions are down 6% - which is still an improvement from the 15% drop that was predicted. Annual price growth is a bit lower in London than elsewhere though, at 2.7%.

The rush continues

The housing market is usually sleepy in the run up to Christmas - but this year it’s unlikely to get a break. The stamp duty holiday ends in March so many buyers are keen to get offers accepted before Christmas. Zoopla expects 100,000 extra completions* before March, but has warned that half might not make it in time.

Vaccine disruption?

A no-deal Brexit could disrupt delivery of medicines and vaccines, including the coronavirus vaccine. The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) says the industry has been stockpiling some medicines, but the new year will be a critical time for getting the new coronavirus vaccines out to the public.