Heathrow fire ‘not believed suspicious’ but under Met counter-terror probe March 24, 2025 The cause of the fire which shut down Heathrow Airport is “not believed to be suspicious” but is under investigation by the Met Police counter-terrorism squad, a minister has said. Transport secretary Heidi Alexander updated MPs on the “unprecedented” power outage which shut Britain’s busiest airport over the weekend in the House of Commons on [...]
Spring Statement won’t ‘alter basics’, Starmer insists, amid tax cuts reports March 24, 2025 The Spring Statement this week will not “alter the basics” of public spending plans, Sir Keir Starmer has insisted.
London businesses dismiss Chancellor’s growth hopes March 24, 2025 Firms across London think the government will fall flat on its ambition to grow the UK economy, a new survey has shown. Chancellor Rachel Reeves has set out to woo businesses in Canada over the last few years. But around nine in ten businesses across the capital doubt the government can achieve growth, [...]
‘Nothing off the table’ over possible troop deployment for Kyiv, No10 says March 22, 2025 Western military planning to enforce a potential ceasefire in Ukraine is set to intensify in London next week as No10 said “nothing is off the table” over possible troop deployment for Kyiv. No10 said “thousands” of personnel would be required to support any operation whether by “sea, on land or in the air” as allies [...]
Chancellor rules out ‘tax and spend’ policies ahead of spring statement March 22, 2025 The Chancellor has ruled out “tax and spend” policies ahead of her spring statement next week. Rachel Reeves is under pressure to increase taxes or cut spending to meet the financial rules she set at the budget in October amid disappointing growth figures and higher-than-expected borrowing. Figures released on Friday came as a further blow, [...]
Chancellor’s £40bn tax raid blamed for manufacturing slump March 21, 2025 Manufacturing has seen a faster fall in output at the beginning of this year as Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ £40bn tax raid means businesses are “conserving funds”, research by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) suggests. The sector is seen as crucial to the Labour government’s growth plans as it pushes for a rise in technology [...]
Walls close in for Rachel Reeves as borrowing shoots up March 21, 2025 Chancellor Rachel Reeves’s headroom is shrinking as government borrowing in February exceeded the Office for Budget Responsibility’s (OBR) prediction, new data showed. Reeves has insisted that financial prudence is key to the government’s economic agenda. But the latest data released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) suggests she has less headroom than expected. The [...]
Inheritance tax receipts reach record high March 21, 2025 Inheritance tax receipts totalled £7.6bn in the last 11 months, a record high and surpassing last year’s full-year total of £7.5bn. Data from HMRC revealed today that the amount paid in tax was an 11.8 per cent increase from the same period last year. “It may only affect a small percentage of estates, but that [...]
UK ambassadors to have growth ‘KPIs’, foreign secretary tells trade summit March 21, 2025 The UK’s ambassadors will have “KPIs that contribute to our economic growth” as diplomats shift to a more economic mindset, the foreign secretary has said. David Lammy told an audience of businesses that he wants the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) to become the “international delivery arm of the government’s missions, the first of [...]
Ukraine peacekeeping talks reaching ‘military plan’ stage, says Starmer March 20, 2025 Talks on the Ukraine peacekeeping force are reaching the stage of a “military plan” aimed at “keeping the skies safe”, Sir Keir Starmer has said. The Prime Minister has said the “timetable now is coming into focus”, and that if a deal comes to fruition, the so-called ‘coalition of the willing’ needs to be ready [...]