Treasury to scrap valuation quango amid efficiency drive April 28, 2025 The Valuation Office Agency will be folded into HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC), the tax minister has said, in the latest sign of the government’s efforts to trim away fat from the operations of the state. The arms length body responsible for valuing properties to determine tax rates, which spans £60bn worth of valuation each [...]
New data reveals VAT on school fees could hike costs by £75,000 April 28, 2025 The government’s policy of VAT on school fees would introduce a price hike in excess of £75,000 for families sending children to independent schools, according to new analysis by wealth manager Rathbones. According to the data, the average cost of sending a child to an independent day school for the duration of their time at [...]
Who is David Kogan, the future football regulator facing the ‘piranha club’? April 27, 2025 David Kogan once claimed to have helped introduce bingo to Daily Star readers but his forthcoming job as chair of the independent football regulator represents an altogether different kind of gamble – and some much bigger numbers. Subject to a pre-appointment grilling by the Culture, Media and Sport select committee early next month, the seasoned [...]
Labour to fine tech firms £70k over knife crime content April 25, 2025 Tech firms that fail to swiftly remove knife-crime related content from their platforms could be hit with fines of up to £70,000 under new powers unveiled by the UK government this week. As part of Labour’s upcoming crime and policing bill, platforms and search engines will be legally obliged to take down illegal content- including [...]
David Kogan: Media grandee set to chair football regulator April 25, 2025 Media heavyweight David Kogan OBE, a former advisor to the Premier League with links to the Labour party, has been named the government’s preferred candidate to chair the independent football regulator. Kogan, 67, has seen off competition from serial football club executive Christian Purslow, equality campaigner Sanjay Bhandari and former parliamentary expenses watchdog Professor Sir [...]
Reeves to say global trade should provide ‘security for working people’ April 24, 2025 Rachel Reeves will tell foreign finance ministers that global trade should provide “security for working people” as she prepares for talks with her US counterpart. The Chancellor is in Washington for the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) spring meeting of finance ministers from the G7 and G20, and is due to sit down with US Treasury [...]
Week in Business: Why a UK-US trade deal won’t save the British economy April 24, 2025 The Chancellor's emergency mercy mission to the US could pay off, but it won't be enough to reverse the damage she's already done to the UK economy.
The UK government hid behind the Supreme Court over the gender question April 24, 2025 The debate over defining a woman results in a lot of anger. As a political issue, why does it feel like the Supreme Court was used as a scapegoat?
US trade talks: Rachel Reeves insists UK won’t be ‘relaxing’ food standards April 23, 2025 Rachel Reeves has insisted the UK won’t be “relaxing” its food standards in a bid to secure a trade deal with the US. The Chancellor, who is in Washington DC for the International Monetary Fund (IMF) spring meetings, spoke ahead of her expected talks with US Treasury secretary Scott Bessent. Asked whether the UK government [...]
Ex-City minister calls for ‘urgent No10 summit’ with bosses and watchdogs April 23, 2025 A former City minister has called on the Prime Minister to convene an “urgent No10 summit” with the City of London and financial watchdogs in a bid to boost capital markets. During Prime Ministers’ Questions (PMQs), the Conservative MP John Glen asked Sir Keir Starmer to take the step to “steward our pension assets”. Glen, [...]