UK government borrowing overshoots in Budget blow November 21, 2025 UK government borrowing exceeded expectations in October, with benefits and public sector wages intensifying pressures on the public purse ahead of Rachel Reeves’ Budget next Wednesday. The Office for National Statistics showed that public sector net borrowing had reached £17.4bn in the last set of public finances data that government officials will see before Wednesday’s [...]
Britain needs a Budget for tax certainty November 21, 2025 | City Talk The upcoming Budget should move beyond specific tax adjustments to adopt a broader, more principled reform that aligns with the long-term Industrial Strategy and aims to create a more stable, predictable tax system, says Chris Sanger Much of the speculation surrounding the contents of the Chancellor’s red box on 26 November remains firmly fixed on [...]
Reeves vows to halve consultancy bill, but government can’t track its spending November 21, 2025 Despite the government setting an ambitious target to halve overall spending on consultants, a new report suggests, the lack of consistent data hinders efforts to track progress toward spending targets. Rachel Reeves has set targets to halve the UK government’s overall spending on consultants in 2025-26 and to save £550m in 2024-25, aiming for £700m [...]
Labour hopes AI will save UK economy from jobs crisis November 20, 2025 The government has announced a sweeping package of AI investment intended to create thousands of new jobs across the UK, at a time when businesses warn that rising employment costs and rapid advances in AI are already driving workforce reductions. Ministers have confirmed billions of pounds of private and public AI investment, including a new [...]
UK founders slam Labour as “anti-business” November 20, 2025 UK founders are increasingly losing confidence in Labour’s approach to businesses, as they brace for potential tax rises in the upcoming Autumn Budget. According to the latest survey from entrepreneur network Helm – whose members oversee more than £8bn in annual revenue – over 60 per cent of founders hailed the government as “anti-business” with [...]
Lack of London office space a ‘major economic risk’, Reeves warned November 20, 2025 London Property Alliance has called on Chancellor Rachel Reeves to recognise offices as essential economic infrastructure to boost the capital’s competitiveness. The organisation said that London faces planning barriers, rising costs and a shrinking supply of modern office space, with a 54 per cent drop in major planning applications over the past decade. “The Chancellor… [...]
Budget chaos isn’t a game, it’s caused real harm November 20, 2025 It’s been the longest run-up to a Budget anyone can remember, it started just after the last Budget, so how much damage has this chaos caused? In her first speech as Chancellor in the first week of July last year, Rachel Reeves used the word stability 8 times. She pledged to “deliver economic stability” and [...]
Investec looks to mid-market businesses in growth push November 20, 2025 International banking giant Investec is preparing to scale its core business by increasing its services to mid-market companies. The FTSE 250 stalwart called the market space “underserved”, with many mid-cap businesses failing to have their need for revenue growth met by corporate banks who often don’t offer a personalised service and may be more risk [...]
Brits delay moving houses over Budget fears November 20, 2025 Nearly one in five Brits considering moving house have stalled their plans ahead of the Budget, a new survey has indicated, in a fresh warning to the Treasury about the damage caused by leaks and speculation. Around 17 per cent of potential movers surveyed by property website Rightmove said they have paused their plans to [...]
Rachel Reeves must break this manifesto pledge November 20, 2025 Britain is stuck in a debt doom loop. Rachel Reeves must break a manifesto pledge to get us out of it, writes Ticiana Alencar.