Consumer confidence plunges as Labour under fire November 17, 2025 Consumer confidence plunged to a four-month low last month, a leading survey has suggested, as Budget tax rumours shared by Labour officials instilled fear in Britons up and down the country. S&P Global’s UK consumer sentiment index slipped back in November as households became more nervous about their finances. The reading for household finances dropped [...]
Andy Haldane: Budget speculation is hitting growth November 17, 2025 Former Bank of England chief economist Andy Haldane has said there is “without a shadow of a doubt” a direct link between feverish Budget speculation and sluggish growth in the UK economy. In an interview on Sky News on Monday morning, the incoming president of the British Chamber of Commerce (BCC) told Sophy Ridge that [...]
Business activity rebounds but Budget nerves could damage growth November 16, 2025 UK private sector activity marked its largest monthly rise of the year in October, but momentum could be shattered by increasing Budget speculation. According to the latest business trends report from accountancy firm BDO, which measures businesses turnover and economic activity, output rose to 97.49 past month, up from 96.25 in September. This marked the [...]
Treasury ‘buries’ farming report until after Budget in inheritance tax blow November 16, 2025 A government-commissioned review that shows the financial pressures on the farming industry has been “buried” by the Treasury until after the Autumn Budget, Whitehall sources claim. The review which was carried out by a former president of the National Farmers’ Union (NFU), Baroness Batters, is understood to lay bare concerns among farmers over Chancellor Rachel [...]
Home Secretary: Illegal migration is causing “huge divides” November 16, 2025 Illegal migration is causing “huge divides” in the UK and must be brought under control to maintain consent for any form of asylum system, the Home Secretary has said. Shabana Mahmood said the Government needed to “deal with the pull factors that draw people in the first place” as she plans to announce a new [...]
Exclusive: Industry chiefs warn Reeves not to hit business after income tax U-turn November 14, 2025 The Chancellor must not rely on businesses to plug the gaping fiscal gap left by Thursday’s income tax U-turn, a group of industry body chiefs has warned a year after UK firms were forced to stomach much of the £40bn of tax hikes at Labour’s maiden Budget. In an unusual combined intervention, bosses from five [...]
Rachel Reeves panics markets by ditching plans for income tax hike November 14, 2025 Rachel Reeves is understood to have scrapped plans to break Labour’s manifesto and hike income tax in the forthcoming Autumn Budget. The Chancellor was poised to hike income tax by 2p whilst cutting national insurance by the same amount in a move that would break Labour’s pledge to not raise taxes on ‘working people.’ Over [...]
Kemi Badenoch welcomes Javier Milei on Falkland Islands ‘competition’ November 13, 2025 Tory leader Kemi Badenoch has said she found it “fascinating” that Argentinian president Javier Milei wanted to make his country so great that Falkland Islanders would want to change nationalities. In a 15-minute speech to Latin American investors and academics, Badenoch praised the anarcho-capitalist leader for his austerity programme in Argentina that has lowered inflation [...]
Will the Budget push the economy off the cliff? November 13, 2025 Downing Street is in chaos and the economy has flatlined. Now, with just a couple of weeks to go until we find out what’s really in Rachel Reeves’ Budget, Britain’s bosses are getting restless. It used to be the case that Chancellor’s went quiet in the run-up to a Budget, keeping their powder dry and [...]
Reeves to put brakes on Cycle to Work scheme in blow to City November 13, 2025 Chancellor Rachel Reeves could slam the brakes on the Cycle to Work scheme at the upcoming Budget in a blow to City commuters, it has been reported. The Chancellor is expected to cut tax benefits on salary sacrifice schemes, including in the buying of expensive bikes, according to a report in the Financial Times. “Cycle [...]