‘Last days of the honeymoon’: Anxious bosses prepare charm offensive at Labour conference September 25, 2026 Ahead of the Labour Party Conference on Sunday, and one month away from the Budget, businesses are feeling nervous, write Mauricio Alencar and Felix Armstrong Stepping onto an early-morning Avanti West Coast train from London Euston is now a familiar feeling for the Prime Minister. Andy Burnham is set to make the journey more regularly [...]
Minister tries to keep growth spirit alive amid bleak outlook September 25, 2026 A government minister has moved to keep people’s optimism about the UK economy and spending afloat amid fears that interest rate hikes and a difficult Budget could dampen spirits. Several analysts, such as those at the research company GfK, have recorded a boost in consumer confidence in the months since Andy Burnham became PM. The UK [...]
Consumer confidence hits two-year high but ‘could soon falter’ September 25, 2026 Consumer confidence has surged to a two-year high in a surprise rise which will hand a much-needed boost to Andy Burnham ahead of the Budget – but experts have warned that momentum could soon run out. GfK’s closely-watched consumer confidence barometer rose to -13 in September, a rise of about one point since last month [...]
OBR chief: Public ‘have not lowered their expectations about what the state can do’ September 24, 2026 A top economist at the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) has sent a warning on the effect more tax rises could have on growth and on the public’s expectations about “what the state can do for them”. Professor David Miles, who is one of three top members at the independent fiscal watchdog, said that the [...]
Founders should not be ‘put off’ by inheritance tax, says Treasury minister September 24, 2026 A senior Treasury minister, while praising the state of the UK economy, has said entrepreneurs should not be “put off” by inheritance tax. Emma Reynolds, the chief secretary to the Treasury, on Thursday, at a visit to Numatic International, the makers of the Henry vacuum cleaner, said entrepreneurs should not be “put off” by the [...]
Treasury’s new Head of Growth will have their work cut out September 24, 2026 Do you want the good news or the bad news? Trick question, I’m afraid. There is no good news. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has revised its forecast for UK economic growth this year from 0.9 per cent to 1.1 per cent, but – before you reach for the champagne – they’ve [...]
Business versus the Budget: How a ‘dismal’ fiscal picture could disrupt Labour’s Party conference September 24, 2026 As business chiefs look forward to the Labour Party conference and the ensuing Budget, Maurício Alencar explores how a difficult fiscal backdrop could disrupt meetings and undermine high expectations. In the months leading up to the Budget, hundreds of notes fly through the Treasury’s letterbox. Emails ping on officials’ phones. Lobbyists for academics, retailers, councillors, [...]
Tory welfare crackdown would ban benefit spending on alcohol and cigarettes September 23, 2026 Scores of benefit claimants would receive their welfare payments on a ‘Back To Work’ card that bans spending on alcohol, cigarettes or betting under plans announced by the Conservatives. Under a new crackdown on the welfare system, unemployed people on benefits will see their payments fall by 30 per cent. Those who are on Universal [...]
UK to champion global AI rulebook during G20 presidency September 23, 2026 Andy Burnham has said governments, not tech companies, must make the biggest decisions about AI, as he pledged to put AI regulation at the heart of Britain’s G20 presidency. The Prime Minister used his first address to the United Nations General Assembly to call for a single set of global standards governing frontier AI, including [...]
Burnham ally Jim O’Neill: Debt costs are ‘increasingly crazy’ and triple lock must go September 23, 2026 The cost to taxpayers of paying off the interest on UK government debt is “increasingly crazy”, according to a top economist who advised Andy Burnham. Lord Jim O’Neill, the former Goldman Sachs executive who advised Burnham in his run-up to Downing Street, told LBC that debit interest payments far outweighing the defence budget were “increasingly [...]