Overall YouGov/Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr) consumer confidence index did not move in September. Household finance measures for the past 30 days (-0.5) and next 12 months (-3.3) fell Confidence in house prices rose in the short-term (+3.1), as did outlook (+0.9). Workers were more confident about their job security over September (+1.0), and more optimistic looking forward (+0.5)

Reliance on in-car technology is making us worse behind the wheel, say two-fifths of drivers in new AA Driving School research. Older drivers were the least likely to think this (36% of over 65’s) and those aged 25-34 were the most likely (51%), perhaps indicating confidence in driving skills and with using these features increases with experience.

UK rural insurer NFU Mutual is urging people not to be complacent and to take action to prevent damage before Storm Amy brings dangerous winds to much of the UK this Friday and Saturday. The storm will bring gusts of up to 90mph in parts of Scotland and 70mph in the North of England, Northern Ireland and Wales, potentially wreaking havoc on properties and businesses and putting lives at risk.

With energy bills set to increase today by 2%, the British Gas Energy Trust has re-opened its largest energy debt fund and is urging people in energy debt to seek support. The British Gas Energy Support Fund (ESF) offers grants to British Gas customers with up to £2,000 of debt on credit or prepayment meter accounts.

The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) says the UK must tackle its status as the sick man of the G7 if it wants to grow the economy.    Businesses want to see a major shake-up of the UK’s approach to ill-health which is excluding people from work and hobbling the economy.

His Majesty The King welcomed HMS Agamemnon into the Royal Navy, in a ceremony at BAE Systems in Barrow-in-Furness yesterday before conferring Royal status on the Port of Barrow. In a separate ceremony led by the Defence Secretary, steel was cut on the fourth and final Dreadnought Class submarine, King George VI, marking the start of its construction.

On the brink of becoming law, the Government last week rejected the majority of amendments put forward by the House of Lords, which would have mitigated the severity of some of the amendments. Property professionals, landlords and tenants are poised to navigate this once-in-a-generation overhaul of housing legislation.

The AA Driving School now predicts one third of all driving tests will be taken in an automatic car in 2026/27. The latest data from the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) shows a consistent rise in the number of automatic tests conducted. In 2012/13, just 6.1% of all driving tests were taken in automatics.

Across the UK social clubs are disappearing at record speed and with them, the places where neighbours meet, friendships form and communities thrive. One of the UKs biggest place based charities, Local Trust, has warned that each closure deeply damages already struggling areas, leaving people more isolated and less supported.

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) UK Residential Survey for August 2025 reveals a continued slowdown in housing market activity, with buyer demand, sales, and new listings all under pressure.

Henry Burr from Ripon in North Yorkshire becomes the only child from northern England to join the Choir of Westminster Abbey this year A Yorkshire family's musical dreams have come true after 10-year-old Henry Burr was accepted into the Choir of Westminster Abbey - one of the most prestigious musical positions available to young singers in the UK.

The latest research from Yopa has revealed how attitudes towards homeownership vary between generations, showing that while the majority still aspire to own, its perceived importance has waned among younger buyers who also find the path to ownership more challenging than their parents did.