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Uber driver takes TfL to court over ‘pain‘ caused by licence renewal delay

31 August 2026 at 12:01

Julius Mugabo launches landmark case as union says thousands in capital lost incomes due to ‘broken system’

An Uber driver who got into thousands of pounds of debt and feared losing his home due to delays in Transport for London renewing his licence to pick up passengers is taking on the organisation in the high court in the first challenge of its kind.

Julius Mugabo, 55, has been an Uber driver licensed by TfL since 2016. Under the Private Hire Vehicles (London) Act 1998, all minicab drivers cannot work lawfully unless TfL has carried out checks on them and issued or renewed their licences. These licences must be renewed every three years.

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© Photograph: Linda Nylind/The Guardian

© Photograph: Linda Nylind/The Guardian

© Photograph: Linda Nylind/The Guardian

UK households will take £2,400 financial hit from Iran war, analysis shows

31 August 2026 at 07:00

Centre for Economics and Business Research calculates effect of inflation and wage stagnation to end of 2027

UK households will have suffered a £2,400 financial hit, on average, from the Iran war by the end of 2027, new analysis shows.

The Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) has calculated that the jump in inflation since the conflict began, and weaker wage growth, will knock £1,100 off the real income of the average UK household in 2026, and by a further £1,300 in 2027.

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© Photograph: Jill Mead/The Guardian

© Photograph: Jill Mead/The Guardian

© Photograph: Jill Mead/The Guardian

Tax promises, defence targets and Iran: Andy Burnham’s budget headaches

As economic circumstances worsen, the PM’s commitments have left him and the chancellor in a tight spot

When Andy Burnham made his first speech after returning as an MP, he promised that as prime minister he would oversee “the most significant change moment in our politics for 40 years”. His style, direction and communication has been a big shift from Keir Starmer’s approach, but as he heads into the autumn, the new prime minister faces some very similar problems.

With an early budget in late October, and worsening economic circumstances, Burnham has made promises and commitments that put him in a tight spot. Here are some of the constraints over the coming months that Burnham and the chancellor, John Healey, must contend with in their autumn budget.

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© Photograph: Annabel Lee-Ellis/PA

© Photograph: Annabel Lee-Ellis/PA

© Photograph: Annabel Lee-Ellis/PA

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