Mervyn King: UK debt is ‘not in a comfortable position’ September 10, 2025 The UK’s national debt load is “not in a comfortable position” and the government faces a “real challenge” in managing fiscal policy, the former Governor of the Bank of England has said. Speaking to Lords at a committee hearing on Wednesday, Mervyn King said the UK was in a “much stronger position” before the financial [...]
No 10 establishes ‘budget board’ to mend fractured business relations September 10, 2025 Sir Keir Starmer has created a “budget board” of ministers and officials in a bid to mend broken relations with businesses and the City – and tighten his grip on economic policy. The group will meet weekly to co-ordinate ‘pro growth policies’ ahead of the looming Autumn Budget on 26 November. It is also expected [...]
The public won’t reward government overspending – just ask Ed Miliband September 10, 2025 Ed Miliband went on and on about the cost of living crisis in 2015, but he lost that election because the public could see his sums on spending didn’t add up. Cuts, not tax rises, are the only way to avert a crisis, says John O’Connell We are in a cost of living crisis. Aren’t [...]
Goldman Sachs: Tax increases will not improve public finances September 10, 2025 Chancellor Rachel Reeves has been warned by a leading Wall Street bank that hiking taxes later this year will not improve the state of public finances. Reeves is widely expected to raise taxes by at least £20bn at this year’s Autumn Budget, with property owners, gambling companies and pension pots likely to be hit with [...]
Kemi Badenoch: Labour presiding over ‘tax doom loop’ September 9, 2025 Opposition leader Kemi Badenoch has accused the Labour government of leading the UK into an economic crisis of low growth and high spending, as she urged the government to prioritise deep welfare cuts over increasing taxes at the Autumn Budget. In a speech delivered to the Institute of Chartered Accountants’ Hall, Badenoch called out the [...]
Rachel Reeves defends Labour against bond market selloff September 9, 2025 Chancellor Rachel Reeves has launched a defence of Labour’s economic record and blamed her Tory predecessors for the mass selloff in the gilt market despite growing criticism of the government’s fiscal policies. In a parliamentary session before MPs, Reeves said the government had made “fully funded and fully costed” plans to support its £190bn splurge [...]
Tube strikes: With union ingratitude on full display, will Labour finally change course? September 9, 2025 As Tube strikes bring London to a halt, Labour must realise its pushover relations with trade unions have been to no avail, writes Paul Ormerod.
Race for Labour deputy reignites wealth tax debate September 9, 2025 Labour’s Islington South and Finsbury MP Emily Thornberry has thrown her hat in the ring for Labour deputy leader and proposed a new wealth tax as part of her campaign, prompting Chancellor Rachel Reeves to strike down calls by ruling out its introduction. Thornberry, the former shadow foreign secretary under Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership who now [...]
Reeves must stop punishing SMEs to save lifeless jobs market September 9, 2025 Amid record redundancies and a stagnant jobs market, Reeves must stop punishing SMEs at the next Budget, writes Kevin Fitzgerald.
Tube strikes: Sadiq Khan urged to compensate hospitality sector September 9, 2025 Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has been told to ease the financial burden on the hospitality sector as firms face the crunch of tube strikes. Khan, who was criticised for his absence as the strikes got underway, has been urged to give the sector a “rent and rate holiday” so they can weather the strikes. [...]