The Leaky War: How Rachel Reeves and the OBR came to blows December 4, 2025 Between 5:16am and 11:30am on the day of the Budget, as Rachel Reeves was putting the finishing touches to her House of Commons speech, 7 audacious internet users made 44 attempts to break into the servers of Britain’s fiscal watchdog to get an early glimpse of her plans. An hour before Reeves stood up in [...]
Unemployment nightmare is entirely Labour’s fault December 4, 2025 Rising unemployment is a double evil; it both reveals problems in the economy and exacerbates them. Unemployment has risen every month since Labour returned to power, and the number of people out of work will soon hit levels last seen during the pandemic. Last month, the rate of job losses was at its fastest for [...]
Accountants expect price hikes and job cuts following Budget December 4, 2025 A chartered accountancy body has urged the government to consult on a path to a single VAT rate to simplify and restore business confidence following the Autumn Budget. The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW), which represents over 140,000 UK members, reported negative overall sentiment toward the recent Budget. According to exclusive [...]
Starmer blames sweeping tax hikes on Tories December 3, 2025 Keir Starmer blamed sweeping tax hikes at the Budget aimed at funding extra welfare spending and building a larger fiscal buffer on the previous Conservative government’s economic performance. Responding to questions from opposition leader Kemi Badenoch on whether tax rises were necessary, Starmer pointed the finger at a £16bn downgrade to productivity forecasts by the [...]
Whitehall was ‘shambolic’ in dealing with collapsed China spy case December 3, 2025 Whitehall officials presided over “shambolic” proceedings in the prosecution of two alleged Chinese spies, a report has suggested, with both government officials and prosecutors coming under fire over the collapse of the case. A report by parliament’s Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy said the collapse of the prosecution against former parliamentary researcher Christopher [...]
Londoners don’t want Sadiq Khan to run for Mayor again December 3, 2025 The majority of Londoners do not want Sadiq Khan to run for Mayor again in 2028, new polling has shown, with 56 per cent saying London is going in the wrong direction. A City AM/Freshwater Strategy poll of London voters has shown that three in five of the capital’s residents believe that Khan should not [...]
Has Sadiq Khan laid the groundwork for Mayor Zack Polanski? December 3, 2025 According to a recent YouGov survey, just under 20 per cent of Brits think London is in a bad state and worse than the rest of the country. Only 14 per cent of actual Londoners share that view, while 22 per cent of voters in the North think it’s definitely the case. Just under 20 [...]
Starmer’s approval rating tanks to new low December 2, 2025 Keir Starmer’s approval rating has cratered to an unprecedented low as voters turned against the Prime Minister in the aftermath of the Budget. City AM/Freshwater Strategy polling has shown Starmer’s approval rating dropping to a score of -47, trailing well behind Tory leader Kemi Badenoch and Reform UK’s Nigel Farage. The figure is the lowest [...]
Physician associates union: BMA pay demands ‘unsustainable’ December 2, 2025 The British Medical Association’s “obsession with unsustainable pay demands” is pushing other areas of the health service to the brink, as resident doctors gear up for a third strike this year in the lead up to Christmas. According to the trade union representing physician associates, a range of more junior medical staff are being effectively [...]
OBR chief hits out at ‘misconceptions’ in Treasury briefings December 2, 2025 A top economist at the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) has defended a decision to release a letter that contradicted anonymous Treasury briefings in media reports, adding that details in reports were “damaging” to the fiscal watchdog. David Miles, a member of the Budget Responsibility Committee (BRC), told MPs on the Treasury Select Committee that [...]