Haigh refuses to say when Labour will ‘get welfare bill down’ November 4, 2026 Andy Burnham’s deputy Louise Haigh refused to say when Labour will “get the welfare bill down” while adding the government would aim to “invest in success” when asked whether more taxes would cover increases in the benefits bill. Haigh, who is referred to as the Prime Minister’s “enforcer” and stood in for Deputy Prime Minister’s [...]
Britain does not owe the Caribbean reparations for slavery November 4, 2026 Britain has already paid in blood to end the barbaric slave trade and gives the Caribbean more than its fair share in foreign aid. It’s not our fault their leaders have failed to deliver prosperity, says Joseph Dinnage King Charles’ visit to Antigua and Barbuda has not quite gone to plan. Footage of the King [...]
Poundland owner ‘not acting in best interests’ of workers, says No10 November 3, 2026 Poundland owner Gordon Brothers is “not acting in the best interests” of the discount retailer’s staff and stores as it hurtles towards collapse, Downing Street has said. The Boston-based investment firm, which has faced intense criticism over its attempted sale of Poundland, must explain why it has rejected solvent offers to rescue the troubled retailer [...]
Rachel Reeves claims £66bn tax raid made UK ‘stronger’ November 3, 2026 Rachel Reeves has launched a defence over her two tax-heavy Budgets, claiming they enabled a “stronger fiscal buffer” and shifted the “tax system towards rewarding work”. In her first major speech since been ousted as Chancellor, Reeves said she made “difficult choices” that were “not without controversy” but defended them as helping end the UK’s [...]
Forget Manchester, Rotherham offers a lesson in ‘good growth’ November 3, 2026 To achieve genuine regional growth, the government’s devolution agenda must focus on improving firm-level productivity and transforming industrial structures rather than relying on surface-level infrastructure projects, says Paul Ormerod Andy Burnham’s government is attracting a lot of criticism in the media. Its apparent focus is on lots of rather trivial matters whilst major issues are [...]
Voters expect ‘no difference’ to UK economy after Healey’s modest Budget November 3, 2026 John Healey’s Budget will make “no difference” to the UK economy, voters have said, as concerns over stealth taxes and defence spending overshadowed a series of giveaways in the Chancellor’s maiden fiscal statement. Polling by City AM/Freshwater Strategy showed that about half of voters expected the Budget to make “no difference” to Britain’s economic fortunes. [...]
Labour’s stance on China prioritises ‘politeness over security’ November 2, 2026 The Labour government’s approach to relations with China prioritises “diplomatic politeness over the UK’s national security,” a cross-party committee of MPs has found. A new report by the Business, Innovation, Science and Trade Committee warned the government’s stance on the world’s second largest economy had put the UK’s security at risk. MPs agreed that the [...]
Labour races ahead of Reform and Tories with eight-point lead November 2, 2026 Labour has raced further ahead of Reform UK and the Conservatives, creating an eight-point gap in the polls in November. City AM/Freshwater Strategy polling has shown that 30 per cent of voters backed Labour, compared to 22 per cent for Reform UK and the Conservatives. The wider distance between Labour and its two main political [...]
The UK’s future should be inside the EU, says Rachel Reeves November 1, 2026 Rachel Reeves has argued that the UK should return to the European Union, as Brexit has made the country “poorer, weaker and less secure”. In her first major intervention since leaving the Treasury, Reeves has thrown her weight behind the prime minister’s decision to reopen the conversation surrounding the UK’s relationship with Europe. “There is [...]
Healey’s business rate tweaks won’t stop ‘hollowing out’ high street, business group warns October 30, 2026 John Healey’s changes to high street business rates are a “sticking plaster” that will not reverse the “hollowing out” of town centres across the country, the boss of Britain’s largest business group has warned. In his maiden Budget this week, the Chancellor said he would lift the threshold at which small firms receive business rates [...]