UK inflation as measured by the Consumer Prices Index rose to 0.5% in March, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). A sharp increase in air fares, due to the earlier timing of Easter, was the main reason behind the rise from February’s rate of 0.3%, the ONS said. Inflation is now at its highest level since December 2014, ...

Minsters today refused to hand power back to Tower Hamlets without more proof that its council has recovered from claims of corruption and fraud. Cabinet minister Greg Clark said he had not seen enough evidence that the local authority had completely moved on from bad practices uncovered in the days of disgraced former mayor Lutfur Rahman. The Government took control ...

The boss of Revenue & Customs (HMRC), the government department overseeing a £10m inquiry into the Panama Papers, was a partner at a top City law firm that acted for Blairmore Holdings and other offshore companies named in the leak. Edward Troup, executive chair of HMRC since April, is a former partner at Simmons & Simmons, whose clients have included ...