Spring Statement 2025: OBR slashes growth forecast March 26, 2025 The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) has slashed its growth forecast in half to one per cent as Chancellor Rachel Reeves said she was “not happy” about the revised figures. Reeves has insisted that high growth is key to Labour’s mission in government, while Prime Minister Keir Starmer has previously suggested that it is aiming for a rate [...]
Mid-sized firms ‘considering leaving UK’ as pressure on Reeves heats up March 26, 2025 Around a third of mid-sized businesses are considering leaving the UK in the next two years, a new survey has suggested, as Chancellor Rachel Reeves faces intense pressure to make business-friendly announcements at the Spring Statement. The Treasury is set to unlock fresh funding for the construction sector with up to £600m to be spent [...]
UK inflation undershoots expectations in February March 26, 2025 Inflation hit 2.8 per cent in the year to February, pointing to a fragile UK economy as Chancellor Rachel Reeves prepares to deliver her Spring Statement this afternoon. The Bank of England last week held interest rates at 4.5 per cent as inflation has remained high amid escalating trade tensions and incoming tax rises. Now [...]
If the world really has changed, Chancellor, then drop your tax hikes March 26, 2025 Rachel Reeves has one of the most demanding, high profile and exhausting jobs in the country, and so – at the very least – we should forgive her for taking some freebie tickets to a Sabrina Carpenter concert. She’s had very few good weeks since entering office and the least she deserves is a good [...]
Spring Statement 2025: What is it – and when will Rachel Reeves speak? March 25, 2025 Chancellor Rachel Reeves is set to update MPs on the state of the UK economy and make a range of economic policy announcements on Wednesday afternoon at the Spring Statement. She is also set to give updates on the government’s plan to go “further and faster” on delivering growth. The Spring Statement will come as [...]
UK consumer confidence is tanking warns KPMG March 25, 2025 Three in five Brits believe the UK economy is worsening, a new survey by KPMG has shown, as Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ Spring Statement risks failing to lift people’s spirits. Reeves is set to announce policies aimed at economic business confidence at her Spring Statement on Wednesday but a new survey suggests consumers are increasingly downbeat [...]
Reeves crosses her fingers and hopes for growth March 25, 2025 Ahead of last October’s Budget, ministers allowed months of speculation as to what would be unveiled, and the never-ending drumbeat of doom and gloom talked the economy to a standstill. Largely as a result of the contents and consequences of that Budget, economic growth has since evaporated and now all eyes are on this week’s [...]
Rachel Reeves takes leaf out of gardening manual– but don’t expect flowery days to come March 24, 2025 Gardening is typically something career politicians only enjoy once they have retired. But Rachel Reeves appears to be paying homage to the green-fingered guru Alan Titchmarsh in the lead-up to her Spring Statement to be delivered this Wednesday. In one video viewed 111,000 times on Youtube, Titchmarsh offers a tutorial on how to get “free [...]
Andrew Bailey: Strong trade and AI will be key to UK growth March 24, 2025 Andrew Bailey, the Governor of the Bank of England, has said that strong trade will be essential to UK growth in the coming years. The Bank of England last week held interest rates at 4.5 per cent, citing a possible global trade war as a risk to the economy. In a speech delivered at the [...]
Mixed bag of PMI data as services grow but manufacturing slumps March 24, 2025 Chancellor Rachel Reeves has received mixed signals about the state of the UK economy ahead of her Spring Statement as S&P Global’s purchasing managers’ index (PMI) pointed to an upturn in services while manufacturing declined again. The Spring Statement will be delivered on Wednesday as global trade war tensions escalate and worries over incoming tax [...]