Labour is making it more expensive than ever to hire young workers December 3, 2025 Increases to the minimum wage alongside increases in employer NICs have pushed up the costs of employing an 18-year-old by 26 per cent. No wonder youth unemployment is soaring and young people are emigrating in droves, says Emma Revell To say most people are struggling with the state of the British economy would be an [...]
Starmer’s approval rating tanks to new low December 2, 2025 Keir Starmer’s approval rating has cratered to an unprecedented low as voters turned against the Prime Minister in the aftermath of the Budget. Morning Wire/Freshwater Strategy polling has shown Starmer’s approval rating dropping to a score of -47, trailing well behind Tory leader Kemi Badenoch and Reform UK’s Nigel Farage. The figure is the lowest [...]
Natwest chief: UK ‘closer to start than finish line’ on regulation mission December 2, 2025 The government’s mission to overhaul regulation still has a long distance to go, the boss of Natwest has said, as he warned of “trade-offs” in the pursuit of cutting red tape. Paul Thwaite, the chief executive of Natwest, praised the government and the City watchdog in edging forward in its regulation mission, referencing recent changes [...]
Barclays boss: Revolut ‘laid gauntlet down’ with $75bn price tag December 2, 2025 The boss of Barclays has said traditional lenders could “learn” from the growing success of their challenger rivals after Revolut surpassed its valuation. CS Venkatkrishnan – known as Venkat – said fintech banks have “laid the gauntlet down,” when asked about Revolut’s new $75bn (£57bn) price tag. The latest milestone from the fintech juggernaut, which [...]
OBR chief hits out at ‘misconceptions’ in Treasury briefings December 2, 2025 A top economist at the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) has defended a decision to release a letter that contradicted anonymous Treasury briefings in media reports, adding that details in reports were “damaging” to the fiscal watchdog. David Miles, a member of the Budget Responsibility Committee (BRC), told MPs on the Treasury Select Committee that [...]
OECD: Labour is pushing UK inflation to second highest in G7 December 2, 2025 The UK is set to suffer the second highest level of inflation in the G7 over the next year as a result of the Labour government’s decisions to pile extra costs on businesses, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has said as it also warned recent tax hikes will hit growth. In its [...]
Bank of England warns of rising global threat as lenders’ capital rules slashed December 2, 2025 The Bank of England has warned of increased global risks to financial stability, even as it slashed rules imposed on UK lenders dictating the amount of capital they must hold. The central bank said “risks to financial stability have increased during 2025”. “Global risks remain elevated and material uncertainty in the global macroeconomic outlook persists,” [...]
FTSE 100 Live: OBR chiefs face MP grilling; Food inflation slows December 2, 2025 Good morning and welcome back to the Morning Wire liveblog. The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) admitted its “worst failure in the 15-year history” of the fiscal watchdog on Monday. This morning, from 10am, two of its remaining spokespeople will be facing a grilling from the Treasury select committee of MPs. The sensational leak of [...]
Is Rachel Reeves the Prime Minister’s lucky general? December 2, 2025 Napoleon is supposed to have declared that he’d “rather have lucky generals than good ones.” Here in the UK, it seems we have a Chancellor who fits just such a mould. Only the most loyal Labour MPs would declare that Rachel Reeves is a good Chancellor, and in doing so they’d be setting themselves firmly [...]
Businesses left ‘in limbo’ during Budget speculation as bosses feel bruised December 2, 2025 The UK’s private sector was left in a state of “limbo” amid months of Budget speculation leading to delayed investment plans, a leading survey has found, underscoring claims that the government misled the public and businesses over tax rises and fiscal constraints. The Confederation of British Industry (CBI)’s monthly private sector survey has revealed how [...]