Pothole partners: JCB to be official exhibitor at Reform conference September 4, 2025 JCB will be one of the ‘official exhibitors’ at this week’s Reform Party conference, where it will showcase a pothole machine in the latest sign of tightening ties between the poll-topping party and blue-chip UK firms. The yellow-liveried manufacturer, which is owned by longstanding Tory donor Lord Bamford, will be one of the most prominent [...]
If Rayner survives she’ll be much diminished September 4, 2025 Politically, this is fish in a barrel stuff. If you’re on the record saying that “every pound of tax that’s not delivered to the Chancellor of the Exchequer means that it damages our public services” [sic] and you’ve taken aim at your political opponents by claiming that “it’s one rule for them and one rule [...]
Angela Rayner on the brink: Deputy PM underpaid stamp duty on purchase of £800,000 property September 3, 2025 Deputy prime minister Angela Rayner has referred herself to the standards watchdog after she admitted to underpaying stamp duty on her second home in Hove. A spokesperson for Keir Starmer has refused to confirm the date Rayner informed the Prime Minister about her tax dealings, raising questions on when he found out about new tax [...]
Starmer ‘proud to sit alongside’ Rayner despite stamp duty row September 3, 2025 Keir Starmer said he was “very proud to sit alongside” Angela Rayner as the deputy prime minister referred to herself to the standards watchdog over unpaid stamp duty on her second home. Minutes before PMQs began, Angela Rayner admitted she failed to pay the right amount of stamp duty tax on her second home. Rayner [...]
Employment Bill: Here is everything that has happened since its inception September 3, 2025 The third reading of the Employment Rights Bill, a controversial piece of legislation, commenced at the House of Lords on Wednesday. Rushed out within 100 days of Labour taking office, the Bill has faced fierce debate and criticism from multiple stakeholders. The Bill, which formed a significant part of Labour’s manifesto, was laid before Parliament [...]
Autumn Budget set for 26 November as Reeves claims economy ‘not working well’ September 3, 2025 The Autumn Budget will be on 26 November, the Treasury has confirmed, with Chancellor Rachel Reeves admitting the UK economy was “not working well enough” for Britons. The confirmation now sets the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR)’s preparations for its fiscal report in motion as it has ten weeks to draw conclusions on the health [...]
Hospitality bosses join Tories in opposition to Labour government September 3, 2025 Hospitality bosses have joined the Conservatives in condemning the Labour government for introducing higher taxes on businesses, rolling out red tape on employment and excluding the sector from growth strategies. Managers at pubs, restaurants and hotels across the UK have warned that the government’s taxes and regulations risk devastating the important sector. Now the Conservatives [...]
Tube strikes would be outrageous – where is the Mayor? September 3, 2025 Bob Crow, the late leader of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union, once said “It’s an old media myth that the RMT union resorts to industrial action lightly.” These days, we’d call such a claim “trolling.” Indeed, as the historian Dr Jim Moher points out, Crow “cherished” a signed shirt from Millwall player Dennis Wise [...]
Bond traders hit out at ‘chorus’ of high tax advocates in No 10 September 2, 2025 Bond traders have hit out at the “chorus” of Westminster voices advocating for higher taxes as government borrowing costs soared to the highest level seen this century. Gilt yields, which feed into the cost the government will have to pay bondholders through debt interest payments, soared to their highest level since 1998, with the interest [...]
Home Office contractor proposes investor visa for ‘business angels’ September 2, 2025 A Home Office contractor has put forward plans for an investor visa to be re-introduced as advisers claimed a targeted entry route for wealthy foreign nationals would be “dramatically beneficial” for the UK economy. Envestors, an investment service that assesses entrepreneurs applying to enter the UK via the innovator founder visa, has argued that a [...]