Q. I have had boiler cover with British Gas for years but it is going up from £234.12 to £346.18 this year even though I have not claimed. It seems to me this is tantamount to extortion, not least because I was offered no chance to increase the callout excess charge above £60 to reduce…

A London-listed mining company is looking to reopen a Welsh mine that dates back to the Bronze Age but which could still contain substantial amounts of copper, zinc and gold. Anglesey Mining has submitted an environmental impact assessment for a mine on Parys Mountain as it seeks to build shafts stretching more than 2,000ft underground….

Ministers must work closely with business to avoid “spooking” employers as they carry the biggest overhaul of workers’ rights in decades, a leading recruitment trade body has said. Neil Carberry, chief executive of the Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC), said: “The government is right to make economic growth its focus. Only growth can turn employers’…

Three out of four taxpayers who challenged an automatic late filing or payment penalty from HM Revenue & Customs in April, May or June had their fines overturned or reduced when reviewed by the taxman. The tax office issues automatic fines if you miss tax return filing and payment dates, even if you don’t owe…

The release of Britain’s latest jobs and unemployment figures passed off without triggering a widespread reaction in financial markets, something of a relief after the equivalent data in the United States sparked the worst rout in global stocks in two years earlier this month. The Office for National Statistics said that the jobless rate in…

The long-serving boss of Baillie Gifford, the asset manager recently embroiled in an “artwashing” row over its sponsorship of literary festivals, is stepping down after more than three decades. Andrew Telfer, 57, one of three managing partners, will retire in March next year after almost 33 years at the Edinburgh-based business, including 13 years as…

Alison Guthrie did everything right to ensure that her mother, Daphne, was looked after as she got older. She and her brother, Greg, registered a power of attorney in 2007, long before it was needed, knowing that it would make life easier one day. Last year Daphne, 99, moved into a care home and could…

Wimbledon is not merely a showcase for top-flight tennis. Last year Jaguar, the carmaker, and Vodafone, the telecoms group, used the tournament to highlight what connected cars are capable of. Dignitaries and players ferried around Wimbledon in a Jaguar I-Pace had access to a wi-fi service worthy of a VIP, too. A Vodafone “smart hub”…

If you are investing in a tracker fund that, say, follows the FTSE 100, does it really matter which one you choose? It’s a bit like choosing whether to buy your milk at Tesco or Sainsbury’s — it all comes from the same place, after all. Only all trackers are not equal, no matter what…