Ultra rich move in on cheap UK

SUPERMARKET chain Iceland are set to fight a “mad” battle with HMRC over the minimum wage.

HMRC told the firm that their Christmas savings scheme, where staff have been setting aside money and claiming it back later, means they are technically falling below the minimum wage. The store could face a £21million bill.

Their founder Malcolm Walker said the dispute was “just madness”. OVERSEAS property investors are buying more multimillion-pound homes due to Brexit.

Figures released by HMRC under the Freedom of Information Act to property lenders Octane Capital reveal that 300 homes worth more than £10million were sold in 2017, 100 more than in 2016.

A third were bought by second-home owners, particularly foreign investors, who were taking advantage of the plunge in the value of sterling.

“At the very top end of the market activity levels soared as ultra-wealthy opportunist buyers cashed in on rapidly softening prices,” said Octane chief executive Jonathan Samuels.

Meanwhile, a report by Yorkshire Building Society said first-time buyer mortgage approvals hit their highest level in 2018 since 2007, at 367,000. Oil GlaxoSmithKline 1500.4 +9.2 Halfords 259.8 +4.8 Hays 140.9 +0.9 HSBC 646.6 -0.3 Imperial Brands 2382.0 +5.0 International Airlines Grp605.4 -12.6 ITV 125.0 +0.1 Kingfisher 209.2 +1.7 Land Securities 799.0 -5.4 Legal & General 230.3 -0.7 Lloyds 51.0 -0.8 BRITISH artists and blockbuster film soundtracks helped music sales hit the high notes last year.

Figures from record labels association, the BPI, revealed that 142.9million albums were streamed, purchased on CD and vinyl or downloaded in 2018 – up by 5.7 per cent on 2017. The retail value of these purchases was £1.33billion.

The BPI said homegrown musicians such as Dua Lipa, Ed Sheeran and Adele had driven demand alongside movie soundtracks including The Greatest Showman.

BPI chief executive Geoff Taylor said: “Consumers deepened their engagement with music in its myriad forms.” Marks & Spencer Morrison National Grid Next Pearson Prudential Reckitt Benckiser RELX Rentokil Initial Rio Tinto Rolls-Royce 248.0 +0.8 211.8 -1.4 773.6 +9.4 4177.0+186.0 942.6 +4.2 1373.0 -29.0 6023.0 +10.0 1617.0 +0.5 331.3 -5.9 3690.5 -39.5 809.4 -20.6 Royal Mail RSA RBS J Sainsbury SSE Severn Trent Serco Sports Direct Shell Sky Smith & Nephew 272.6 508.8 216.6 261.5 1069.0 1849.0 98.0 242.3 2363.5 1727.5 1429.0 +0.5 -4.8 -0.1 -3.5 -12.5 +33.5 +2.4 +4.5 +23.5 +1.5 -35.0 SUCCESS Brit Dua Lipa has helped push demand