UK Sport has been handed a shock 29 per cent increase in funding, handing a boost to British athletes preparing for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo four years later.

Chancellor George Osborne landed buy-to-let and second homes a huge shock by announcing a stamp duty surcharge on property purchases from April.

George Osborne hit the buy-to-let dream with a big stamp duty hike yesterday, but landlords still have a tax trick they can pull to claim it back.

He has repeatedly slashed domestic spending, but the Chancellor remains committed to funnelling 0.7 per cent of Britain's GDP into an array of dubious overseas aid projects.

In his Autumn Statement and Spending Review, Mr Osborne claimed he is tackling the 'crisis in home ownership' head-on with the 'biggest housebuilding programme since the 1970s.'

Insurers have slammed the rise which has pushed the tax up to almost double what it was in 2015 and they predict it will lead to an increase in the number of uninsured drivers on the road.

MPs have voiced deep scepticism after the Office for Budget Responsibility delivered a series of dire forecasts about the impact of Brexit.

Tom Birch, 43, from Bath, earns £100,000 a year in his financial services job and receives extra life insurance, dental cover, and critical illness cover through a salary sacrifice scheme.

The new Chancellor Philip Hammond forecasts that Britain’s economy will continue to grow and create new jobs in every year to the end of this Parliament, says ALEX BRUMMER.

Philip Hammond said Britain’s ‘productivity gap’ was ‘well known, but shocking nonetheless’. He told the House of Commons that the UK ‘lags behind’ the US and Germany by 30 per cent.

Hammond has backed recent HMRC proposals for a crackdown on using the loophole for smartphone and gym contracts, buying cars and TVs, or private medical insurance.

Philip Hammond told MPs he would be compiling a major report into the impact that state spending on pensioners has on the health and social care of an ageing population.

It was not the kind of Autumn Statement we had come to expect under George Osborne – all fire and brimstone – but Philip Hammond’s debut was not without its nasty side.

Former health secretary Stephen Dorrell, who is now chairman of the NHS Confederation, said Philip Hammond (shown) had made a ‘mistake’ by failing to find extra funds in last week’s autumn statement.

The Flat Rate Scheme for VAT, designed to cut bills and red tape for small firms, is being overhauled in a measure the Chancellor said would stem abuse of the scheme.

Currently, employees do not have to pay income tax or national insurance if their redundancy pay is under £30,000.

Professional golfer Paige Spiranac hit back after the LGPA released new dress code guidelines banning plunging necklines and short skirts, which she says is discriminatory against female players.

Stoke City are finalising the transfer of Wigan Athletic's Nick Powell and are interested in Everton's versatile 24-year old defender Matthew Pennington.

Barcelona are showing an interest in Manchester City teenage prospect Kian Breckin. The 15-year-old attacking midfielder has caught the eye of the Spanish club's scouts in tournaments.

Marco Silva wants new faces this summer with Zaha the top of his wishlist before the window closes. And after drawing a blank against Wigan Athletic, Silva is unlikely to renege on his desire for forwards.

The 26-year-old is due to have a medical ahead of signing a three year contract with the Championship side.

Crystal Palace tweeted a cringeworthy video to announce the £8million signing of James McCarthy from Everton. The clip shows James McArthur outside an internet cafe.

The 19-year-old had attracted the attention of eight other Premier League sides in the summer transfer window, but remained at Stamford Bridge to battle for first-team football.

Hearts have secured the signing of Manchester United keeper Joel Pereira on a season-long loan deal.It will be the 23-year-old's fifth temporary spell away from old Trafford.

Derby County captain Richard Keogh (left) has been pictured on crutches for the first time since being involved in a horror car crash that could have ended his career.

IAN WHITTELL AT THE DW STADIUM: The striker hit his fourth goal in as many games, levelling after home keeper Jamie Jones had been penalised for unnecessarily picking up a back pass.

Takumi Minamino joins Liverpool as the Reds' first Japanese player and the ninth to have played in the Premier League. Here, Sportsmail takes a look back at how the first eight got on...

IAN WHITTELL AT EWOOD PARK: Wigan Athletic climbed off the foot of the Championship table on Monday night after playing out a goalless draw with Lancashire rivals Blackburn Rovers.

The Christmas decorations are being taken down and New Year's Resolutions are already being broken. The third-round of the FA Cup is now upon us after a festive flurry of football.

A bumper set of FA Cup fixtures continues on Saturday evening with five 5.31pm kick-offs taking place. Follow all the action across the five matches HERE via Sportsmail's SAM MCEVOY.

Cardiff City are expected to make an improved bid for Wigan Athletic striker Kieffer Moore. An offer of £2.3million was rejected last week but Moore was left out of Wigan's squad against Bristol City.

The 20-year old has been recalled from a loan spell at Morecambe and was wanted by Championship strugglers Wigan Athletic before the ambitious Salford City swooped in.

The Championship trio are all keen to prise the versatile Windass, 26, who can play in midfield or up front, away from Wigan before the transfer window closes next Friday.

Everton are looking to sign Joe Gelhardt from Wigan Athletic according to The Sun, the 17-year-old who has been dubbed 'the next Wayne Rooney.' 

THE SECRET SCOUT: Sportsmail's scout is a top football expert who attends matches each week searching for the next star. This week they bring the full low-down on Wigan's Joe Gelhardt.

Wigan's Chey Dunkley has been given special dispensation to use the club's ghost training ground as he continues to make big strides in his recovery from a double leg break.

According to a damning 75-page report by the Civil Aviation Authority, there are expensive hidden catches everywhere.

Avios points are effectively the currency of British Airways. You can accumulate them with your everyday spending, and exchange them for first class flights. But how much are they worth?

Daniel Lawson booked two single rooms at the Cabot Pollensa Park Spa in Mallorca on hotel booking site, Alpharooms, via holiday comparison site, Trivago, at the beginning of June.

Others have imposed a host of different rules governing the use of coins, notes and debit cards on a range of different routes. British Airways no longer takes cash for food and drink on short-haul flights.

Jetting off for your summer holiday? Leaving your travel money to the last minute could cost you, so why not choose a no fee credit or debit card instead that offers you a better rate.

In the race to be named the most popular family package holiday destination, Tenerife has come out on top for the second year running, according to TravelSupermarket.

Most of us have friends who collect travel points - or 'miles' - and shame us with boasts of cheap flights in business class when we have paid full whack for economy.

Research by The Mail on Sunday found that Airparks Drop and Go at Birmingham is a 14-minute drive from the airport, with buses only coming every 25 minutes.

Little known Lviv in Ukraine heads up the list of the top ten cities identified by Airbnb as having the highest growth in bookings over the past 12 months.

Two insurance firms have revealed some surprising claims made by customers on their home insurance policies for thefts abroad.

Barbara Marriott, 56, was due to fly to the Playa Flamingo Beach Resort in Lanzarote at the end of August with her husband and daughter.

The best time to book flights for Christmas is 13 weeks in advance - the last week of September - as travellers will get the best price for both flights and accommodation, according to Skyscanner.

The Civil Aviation Authority is readying contingencies, which could include having to repatriate thousands of customers if the travel agent goes bust during their holidays.

Thomas Cook went bust this morning leaving an estimated 160,000 British holidaymakers stranded abroad and all flights and holidays cancelled. We explain what this means for customers.