John Healey has been appointed as the UK's new Chancellor... and the markets have wasted no time reacting. Defence stocks, including BAE Systems, Babcock and QinetiQ, have all moved higher as investors expect increased government spending on defence under Healey's leadership. At the same time, gilt markets and sterling have remained relatively stable, suggesting investors currently see him as a credible and fiscally disciplined appointment, but they're waiting to see exactly

Why are mortgage rates changing when the Bank of England hasn't moved interest rates? I highly recommend checking the latest on swap rate movement on https://propertyresearch.uk/insights/swap-rates Here, you will find all that you need to know tracking the relationship between Bank of England base rate and swap rates. Be sure to check out propertyresearch.uk Information here is accurate as at 15 July 2026 and will change without notice. One question I get asked all the time