A reader is concerned about the effect a potential Labour leadership contest could have on them
Is the mortgage market turbulence getting you down? Have you got a mortgage-related question you need answering? Email in, and we will get one of our experts to reply.
Nick Mendes, mortgage technical manager at John Charcol, has given his advice to a reader below. If you have a question for our experts, email us atI’m due to remortgage later this year and have been watching the speculation about whether there could be a change of prime minister. Some of the comments from potential successors, particularly around borrowing and the bond markets, seem to have made investors nervous.
Could a change in prime minister affect mortgage rates, and should borrowers be worried that fixed-rate deals could become more expensive? A change in prime minister could affect mortgage rates, but probably not in the direct way many borrowers might assume.
Six ways to get rid of flies, according to expertsThe seven most common mistakes you can make when selling your homeIn the UK, 50 per cent of our daily energy comes from ultra-processed sources, rather than fresh, minimally processed food. This has been blamed as one of the reasons for the nation’s poor health and high rates of obesity. While all UPFs get a bad reputation, there are some that are better than others.
Dr Linia Patel, a dietitian and performance nutritionist, enjoys baked beans. She eats them on a jacket potato with cheese and a side salad as a quick, filling and nutrient dense meal. Gut health nutritionist Yalda Alaoui, who follows a mostly anti-inflammatory diet, has ketchup as small amounts do not impact her blood glucose levels.so they can learn to self-regulate with food. Emergency cereal bars when homemade flapjacks run out.
Caption: Oakland, CA – December 02, 2016: Grocery store shelf with jars of Marmite brand Yeast Extract. A by-product of beer brewing, enjoyed at any time on toast for breakfast, in sandwiches at lunchtime; Shutterstock ID 545767972; Purchase Order: –My mantra with UPFs is ‘reduce but not restrict’. I don’t think we need to cut them out but it’s a good idea to assess how much you eat.
If some are you especially love, then cutting them out can lead to you craving them more. Senior female friends spending leisure time knitting while sitting at table in retirement home – stock photo. Almost half of studies into the impact of retirement on people’s mental health report a negative impact on life satisfaction.
According to the latest Office for National Statistics figures, among those aged 50-59 who have left the workforce, 72 per cent would consider returning to work, often citing a need for financial security and purpose.73-year-old Martin Delgado, who retired from his role as a journalist, enrolled as a volunteer with the NHS 10 years ago. He attends seminars, goes on training courses and works with psychiatric patients at an NHS mental health trust in London.
He runs two or three mornings a week and when it becomes too much is planning to take up swimming or cycling.
“I spend as much time with our grandson as I can. Having him around has had a huge emotional impact. ”For Toni Del Mar, 75, one of the things that has made her retirement a happy one is spending more spontaneous time with friends in her Devon village. But she hasn’t given up everything completely.
Mar runs her home as a B&B which she cleans and prepares for guests. Simon McEwan, who had a 43-year career in journalism, felt lost without structure and routine. He wishes he’d have phased work out slowly. Baby-proofing professionals like Al Kola from Baby Safe Steps say there are several mistakes he often sees that are actually more harmful than helpful.
Every year, more than 67,000 children experience an accident in the kitchen, says the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents. Pressure gates – gates with a bar along the bottom to keep them fixed in place – shouldn’t be on the stairs as the bar is a trip hazard. You can end up flying down the stairs with your baby. Not securing furniture Parents tend to assume that kids won’t do XYZ.
For example, we might assume they won’t pull on drawers, but they can, and it’s a threat that can land on them. Cameras next to a cot are often on a wire, which means that a child could grab it, take it into their cot and get entangled. You don’t need to overprepare. If you put edge protectors everywhere, then that child is not going to know what pain is.
When they go anywhere else like nursery and do get hurt because they don’t understand it. Asian small toddler child is riding a toy car when he falls on the floor, leading to cries and shouts. The unhappy boy, playing with his toy car in the living room daylight, sheds tears – stock photo. The only baby gate brand Al Kola trusts is Baby Dan.
“We use them for a few reasons: firstly, safety, secondly, practicality, and then thirdly, they look good. They are the only brand that currently ticks those boxes for most scenarios. ”Clare Seal once had £27,000 of credit card debt. Now she’s a financial coach.
Over the course of 10 years, Seal amassed debt that equated to her whole pre-tax salary. Some was down to high living costs and a low salary and some from her wedding. I’d like to make sure my daughter knows what sort of salary her chosen profession can command, what sort of hours she might work and where to set her sights when it comes to lifestyle.
When there’s a mismatch, it can lead to frustration, resentment and debt if you try to make up the shortfall with credit. Caption: A married couple sitting in silence, looking in opposite directions. The image captures the concept of female loneliness within a marriage, emotional disconnection, and relationship problems.
Symbolizes quiet desperation and isolation at homeRent control has proved a controversial topic in the UK, but is used more widely across the world “I could not tell you how much I have spent over the years, trying to ‘fix’ the parts of myself that society told me were not good enough,” says Seal. Friendships can be hugely rewarding but like any relationship you have to nurture them Caption: A young girl plays sits on a wooden bench beside a long radiator and a sunny window.
She gazes out through the glass. The room is homely and comfortable. Conceptual with space for copy. A pot of money for guilt-free spending is a good idea.
If you start young enough, spending on your lifestyle and saving for your future don’t have to be mutually exclusive. I don’t want her to be scared of credit though because that’s a recipe for misuse and shame. With warmer, wetter winters and longer summers, flies are likely to breed quicker and survive for longer. We’re likely to see more in the future.
James Logan, professor of medical entomology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, says we could see more bugs as warmer temperatures create an ideal environment for breeding. Flies love leftover food, especially if it’s sugary or decaying. Food should be covered or in airtight containers, and leftovers cleared away immediately after eating. Particles of food found in the sink or drains after washing up will attract flies so keep them clean and clear.
Keeping windows closed will also help. Mixing apple cider vinegar with a spoonful of sugar and washing up liquid attracts flies – they then drown in the liquid. Cut a lemon in half and stick in some cloves. It’ll create a strong combination of smells that repel flies.
If you’re looking for a way to boost your health and wellbeing, you likely already have a goldmine in your store cupboard Take time to rest One example of this is the Intelligent Street Lighting project being trialled by Glasgow City Council. It uses an algorithm to process real time sensor data on noise, air pollution and footfall around the city and control street lighting in reaction to people’s use of cycle paths and open spaces.
While flies are attracted to blue light, they are repelled by warm tones so try to get yellow or orange-toned lights. Caption: A resident walks past uncollected bin bags piled up on Poplar Road in Birmingham, central England, on April 15, 2025. Residents are desperately trying to get rid of an estimated 17,000 tonnes of trash that has piled up since refuse workers ramped up a strike last month.
Four weeks in, the city council has declared a “major incident,” the prime minister has had to defend the government’s response in parliament, and residents say their problems are worsening by the day. According to the Alzheimer’s Society, women account for around two thirds of people living with Alzheimer’s disease in the UK.
Some of the symptoms of menopause which are similar to dementia include memory issues, trouble with word retrieval, irritability, anxiety and frustration. Someone with menopause brain fog may have difficulties with memory or clear thinking, but in dementia, these issues increase over time. Managing menopause is a bit like putting together pieces of a jigsaw. British Menopause Society trustee Dr Paula Briggs says HRT can help but it’s not the only solution.
“It’s important to ensure that you’re eating well and exercising regularly throughout menopause, when your body is under some strain due to fluctuations in hormones”. Caption: Healthy senior woman doing swim noodle exercises in aerobics pool class. Active senior people doing workout in swimming pool holding swim noodles. Keeping your brain active can improve your brain health, cognition, well-being and mental health.
Caption: Portrait of elderly woman solving sudoku puzzles at home, sitting in living room. Sudoku as popular game for aging people, logical thinking, problem solving. Caption: File photo dated 26/11/14 of a pint of beer and a set of car keys on a bar in a pub in central London. More than a fifth of motorists have drunk alcohol after 10pm when needing to drive before 9am the following morning, a new survey suggests.
Road safety charity IAM RoadSmart, which commissioned the poll, warned that drinking alcohol the night before getting behind the wheel can pose a “serious threat” because a “groggy head” means slower reaction times. Issue date: Friday July 18, 2025. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Philip Toscano/PA WireThe market is stagnant, first-time buyers are struggling to save enough for deposits and sales are falling through.
To help, we asked experts for their tips on completing a sale. From what to do with decor and lighting to marketing it correctly. If you give people the choice of a renovation project or something that’s finished, they’ll go for the latter. Arsh Ellahi, who has over 20 years of experience in the property industry, says buyers want houses that are done.
If all someone can see is clutter, they’re more likely to think the house is too small. Space is value.
‘I do his laundry. I’ve learned to check the pockets. I regularly pull out enough snack wrappers to fill a small bag’, says Allana When the price is set too high, it’s more likely to stay on the market. Your home has to look like good value for money.
For the vast majority of people selling the home they live in the process is straightforward and tax-free Mortgage rates have been rising for days Photos are the first thing a potential buyer sees, and poor-quality images will stop stage two – the inquiry and viewing. Windows should be opened to allow fresh air in, and, if it’s cold, the heating should be turned on to make the house feel inviting and homely.
It’s really important to accommodate viewings on weekends or evenings when they’re most popular. You do not need to have it all figured out but you do need to start Solicitors’ fees, agent fees, and capital gains tax are all big things to consider when it comes to finances and being ready to sell. Sweating is an important part of thermoregulation.
When you sweat and it evaporates off the skin, it will take the latent heat with it. We’re covered in three to four million sweat glands and the majority produce a sweat made up of just electrolytes and water. In other words, completely odourless. Glands in the armpit, groin and scalp operate differently.
The bigger you are , the more surface area you will need to sweat on in order to cool down. Certain dietary items, including caffeine, processed foods and spicy foods can also trigger the chemicals in our body which cause us to sweat more.to speak to a doctor to determine further. Secondary hyperhidrosis means there’s a condition or illness causing the sweating.
Sweating with secondary causes tends to happen all over the body rather than just localised to your palms or armpits. Primary hyperhidrosis tends to switch off when you’re sleeping as the neurons stop firing. This doesn’t happen with secondary hyperhidrosis. Caption: Relaxed young woman in bright summer clothes is sitting on a bench on a city street with her eyes closed enjoying music through headphones from a smartphone.
One that contains aliminimium is advised as it’s well known for blocking and plugging our sweat ducts. Britain’s best coffee shops have been revealed – spanning from the tip of Scotland to the bottom of England. are not set by the person in No 10. Fixed-rate pricing is mainly driven by swap rates, gilt yields, Bank of England expectations, lender funding costs, and the wider inflation outlook.
Politics only really matters for mortgages when it changes what markets think about borrowing, inflation, or the credibility of the government’s economic plan. These can change swap rates and, therefore, lender funding costs. A prime minister can change, but if markets believe the broad fiscal direction is the same, the impact on mortgage pricing may be limited.
If investors start to think a new government would borrow more, loosen fiscal policy, or make inflation harder to control, gilt yields can move higher. Swap rates can then follow, and that can make it harder for lenders to reduce fixed mortgage rates. The issue is less about the name of the prime minister and more about the market reaction to what that person represents.
Andy Burnham, one of those who has been mentioned as a potential future leader, has made comments about Britain being too “in hock” to bond markets, and these comments are relevant because investors are already sensitive to UK borrowing and fiscal credibility. That does not mean he would automatically be bad for mortgage rates. Markets would look at the actual policy position, not just one phrase.
He has since sought to reassure markets by talking about fiscal rules and the need for a plan to get debt down. That matters because bond investors want to see that any future prime minister understands the limits around borrowing and public spending. But markets would still look closely at whether any future policy shift might mean higher borrowing, looser fiscal discipline or more interventionist economic policy without a clear funding plan.
If that were the perception, gilt yields could come under pressure. For borrowers, the risk is that higher gilt yields feed into swap rates, which then keep fixed mortgage pricing higher for longer. The reverse is also true. A candidate seen as offering continuity, fiscal restraint or a clearer economic plan may be easier for markets to digest.
That would not mean mortgage rates suddenly fall overnight, but it could remove some of the political risk premium sitting in the background. The honest answer is that political change alone is unlikely to be the main driver of mortgage rates. The bigger forces are still inflation, energy prices, global bond markets, tariff uncertainty, geopolitical risk and what the Bank of England is expected to do next.
If inflation expectations ease and markets begin to price in a lower path for Bank Rate, lenders may have more room to reduce fixed rates. In that environment, a change in prime minister might matter only at the margins. But if political uncertainty arrives at the same time as higher energy prices, sticky inflation and nervous gilt investors, the effect could be more noticeable. Markets do not like uncertainty, particularly when public finances already look stretched.
For borrowers, the practical point is not to try to second-guess a leadership contest. The question is whether swap rates are moving in your favour or against you. If you are within six months of your current deal ending, it is usually worth reviewing your options rather than waiting for politics to settle. Many lenders allow borrowers to secure a new rate in advance, and if rates improve before completion there may be scope to switch to a better deal.
That does not mean everyone should rush into a fix. It means borrowers should know what they can secure now, what the risks are if pricing moves against them, and whether their budget could cope if rates stay higher for longer. A change in prime minister might move the mortgage market, but only because it changes the funding market behind it.
For most borrowers, the bigger risk is leaving the decision too late and having fewer options if lenders reprice quickly.
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