Streeting: Labour needs to counter ‘growing sense of despair’ October 26, 2025 The British public have a sense of despair about the way the country is run and Labour must demonstrate it can deliver in office, Wes Streeting has said. The health secretary conceded Sir Keir Starmer’s government has not told a “compelling enough story” about its achievements, and acknowledged people were not yet feeling the change [...]
Rishi Sunak: Tax rises at Autumn budget would crush confidence October 26, 2025 Former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has warned Chancellor Rachel Reeves that she must cut spending at the next budget or risk economic disaster. Writing in his inaugural column for the Sunday Times, Sunak said that Reeves faces a “simple choice: spending cuts or tax rises.” “If the chancellor opts for the latter, it will crush [...]
Lucy Powell becomes Labour’s deputy leader October 25, 2025 Lucy Powell, the former House of Commons leader who was kicked out of the government in a ministerial reshuffle last month, has been elected Labour’s deputy leader. Powell beat education secretary Bridget Phillipson in the contest as she received 87,407 votes. Phillipson received 73,536 votes in the election, representing 46 per cent of the voter [...]
Reeves ‘to raise national living wage’ in extra burden for firms October 25, 2025 Rachel Reeves is set to confirm a rise in the National Living Wage by four per cent at the Budget, according to reports, in an electorally popular decision that could have severe implications for businesses and the wider UK economy. Businesses have repeatedly warned that the double cost of last year’s tax raid on employers’ [...]
MPs raise alarm as Rachel Reeves set to slash cash ISA limit October 25, 2025 Rachel Reeves has been urged to avoid slashing the cash ISA limit in the coming Autumn Budget as she looks to drive investment into the London stock market. The Chancellor is reportedly set to revive plans to cut the tax-free limit after putting previous proposals on ice after the move faced fierce backlash. The tax-free [...]
Exclusive: Labour mulls hefty fine for employers who stop unions entering offices every week October 23, 2025 The Labour government is considering a plan to give trade unions weekly access to businesses’ offices, with fines worth up to £75,000 to be dished out to bosses who bar them from entering. The Employment Rights Bill (ERB) is set to include powers for trade unions to gain “right of access” to workplaces, a perk [...]
How to actually grow the economy October 23, 2025 In this special edition of The Week in Business, City AM Editor Christian May talks to Lord Matthew Elliott about his new book, co-authored with Dr Arthur Laffer, Douglas McWilliams and Lord Michael Hintze: Prosperity Through Growth – Boosting Living Standards in an Age of Autocracy and AI. The book is based on interviews with [...]
Tony Blair calls on Labour to ditch key net zero target October 23, 2025 Tony Blair’s think tank has called for the government to ditch its 2030 clean power target as it urged the Labour government to focus on making electricity cheaper in order to persuade Brits to use it over gas. In a report published by the Tony Blair Institute (TBI), researchers called for the government to “solve” [...]
Is Brexit really to blame for the Chancellor’s growth headache? October 23, 2025 As the government prepares the public psyche for substantial tax hikes at next month’s Budget, the Chancellor has taken a Brexit-shaped risk. Keir Starmer’s government has largely opted for caution over talking about relations with the European Union. The Prime Minister has insisted that re-opening the Brexit debate would bring only “turmoil” but he also [...]
MPs urge Whitehall to prioritise AI training as digital gap widens October 22, 2025 The government must urgently upskill civil servants to make effective use of AI, MPs have warned. In a new report published on Wednesday, Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) said that gaps in digital advancements among government departments are leading to service backlogs, inefficiencies, and poorer outcomes for citizens. Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown MP, PAC chair, argued: [...]