Labour should be honest about the tax rises to come September 11, 2025 Trying to raise tens of billions of pounds in revenue without touching the three taxes that account for the lion’s share of the total tax haul is like trying to build a bookcase without any nails, screws or glue. You could try it, but you’ll soon regret the attempt. As things stand, Rachel Reeves is [...]
Tube strikes: Union leader says £72,000 salary is not enough September 10, 2025 RMT chief Eddie Dempsey has claimed that tube drivers on £72,000 a year were not making enough to buy a home in London, reflecting the union boss’ militant position on ongoing tube strikes. The union boss told Times Radio he made “no apologies” for the ongoing strike as he said the salary, which is around [...]
Starmer backs Mandelson amid calls for his sacking September 10, 2025 Keir Starmer has said he has “full confidence” in the UK’s ambassador to the US Peter Mandelson despite calls from his own backbenches for him to be sacked over new revelations about his links to the notorious Jeffrey Epstein. The prime minister said “due process” was followed around Mandelson’s appointment to his key ambassadorial role [...]
Von der Leyen: Russia must pay for Ukraine’s recovery September 10, 2025 The European Commission has called for another package of sanctions against Russia with President Ursula von der Leyen saying: “This is Russia’s war, and it is Russia that should pay.” During her 2025 ‘State of the Union’ address, von der Leyen emphasised that European taxpayers should not be the only ones bearing the brunt of [...]
CBI boss calls for Rachel Reeves to break Labour’s tax pledge September 10, 2025 The boss of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has suggested the chancellor should tear up Labour’s manifesto pledge not to raise taxes on working people, as businesses brace themselves ahead of the Autumn Budget. Rachel Reeves is widely expected to introduce a fresh package of tax hikes in her 26 November Budget, in order [...]
Hard truths from Lord Rose and Badenoch the thorn September 10, 2025 Yesterday was a day for hard truths and straight talking. It began with City veteran Lord Rose who said the UK is “at the edge of a crisis.” The former M&S chief and Asda chair said that after working for more than 50 years, and despite a predisposition to optimism, he looks at the state [...]
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 [...]
Rayner scandal piles pressure on HMRC as tax surveillance force swells September 9, 2025 HMRC has increased the number of staff trained to physically monitor suspected tax evaders, as pressure mounts over Angela Rayner’s £40,000 stamp duty scandal. Official figures, obtained via Freedom of Information (FOI) and shared with City AM, show that 337 staff are now trained in covert surveillance, up from 171 people two years ago, in [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]