Here are 5 important things happening in the UK today, Monday (17 November 2025):
- UK to introduce new migrant and refugee laws: Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has warned Labour MPs that “dark forces are stirring up anger” over migration, amid growing alarm among senior party figures over the most sweeping overhaul of refugee rights in a generation. On Monday, Mahmood will announce controversial new laws to overhaul refugee status, which must be reassessed every two years, as well as curbing asylum appeals and toughening the approach to rights to family life. [Guardian]
- Employees who want to work from home could sue bosses for years under rights shake-up: Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s workers’ rights bill will open up businesses to “years of litigation” from employers who want to work from home, peers have claimed. The legislation, championed by Angela Rayner, tells employers they can only turn down requests to work remotely if they can show it is not a “reasonable” request. But the Lords’ home working committee has warned there is no definition of “reasonable”, meaning cases could be fought in tribunals for years. [Telegraph]
- Council tax revaluation on high-value homes to disproportionately hit London and the South East: Rachel Reeves is set to introduce a council tax surcharge on expensive homes in a move that will disproportionately impact London and the South East, according to reports. The Chancellor is currently finalising plans to plug a £25 billion black hole in the public finances, and last week ruled out a major rise to income taxes. The new so-called ‘mansion tax’ charge will see the Treasury use the existing council tax system to revalue 2.4 million of the most valuable properties across bands F, G and H over the next few years – representing one in 10 English homes. [CityAM]
- Sellers cut house prices by most in 13 years over budget fears: Sellers are dropping their prices by the largest amount in 13 years, as buyers sit tight before taxes are increased in the budget and as high-value transactions plummet. Asking prices among new sellers in the past four weeks have fallen by 1.8%, or £6,589, to an average of £364,833, according to research by Rightmove. This compares with a drop of 1.1 per cent during the same period over the previous ten years, and is the largest fall at this time of year since 2012. [The Times].
- On Monday, Oil was trading flat at $63.77. The pound is trading at $1.32, €1.13, and ¥9.34.
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