Council finances in dire straits, MPs say June 18, 2025 Councils could run out of money in 2026 due to unsustainable book balancing methods, according to parliamentarians. The hike in national insurance contributions (NIC), combined with spending on special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), has squeezed local council finances, a new report by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has found. Despite Reform’s DOGE campaign, they [...]
Further job cuts needed to cope with tax raid, businesses warn June 17, 2025 Businesses across Britain are planning another round of job cuts to deal with the pain of Rachel Reeves’ national insurance raid, laying bare the scale of the financial pressure wrought by the government’s £20bn tax hike after it came into effect in April. As many as one in three businesses said they were planning to [...]
Reeves’ spending spree could open £20bn gap – which taxes will rise? June 12, 2025 Rachel Reeves splashed the taxpayer cash in her inaugural Spending Review, raising expectations the Chancellor may be coming back for more tax revenue in the Autumn if her growth ambitions are not met. Reeves is set to hand out an extra £190bn in government spending over the course of the parliament, in what she described [...]
Reeves vows to ‘renew’ Britain as Tories say it’s just ‘borrow and spend’ June 10, 2025 Rachel Reeves is expected to focus on regional growth as she unveils £113bn in capital investment as part of her Spending Review on Wednesday. The Chancellor will outline some of the government’s key priorities and will pledge investment aimed at ensuring “people can see a doctor when they need one, know that they are secure [...]
Seven in 10 bosses think workers’ rights bill will dent growth June 6, 2025 Over seven in 10 bosses believe the government’s flagship workers’ rights overhaul will kibosh efforts to kickstart economic growth and lead to fewer new hires and more outsourcing of work abroad, fresh research has shown. According to a poll by the Institute of Directors (IoD), 72 per cent of business leaders in Britain believe that, [...]
Conservatives must remember that small government is better government June 5, 2025 Labour’s tax-raising, interventionist approach is strangling the economy. Conservatives must make the positive case that individuals, families and businesses make better decisions for themselves than distant bureaucrats, says Brandon Lewis Among its many crises and policy reversals in the past few weeks, a leaked memo from Angela Rayner revealed that a vocal subset of the [...]
Workers’ rights: £60bn industry warns against Labour overhaul June 4, 2025 The government’s flagship workers’ rights legislation is poised to have “serious unintended consequences” for firms’ capacity to take on new staff and offer them sufficient hours if ministers fail to consult more closely with employers, more than 120 facilities management bosses have warned. Writing in an open letter signed by the likes of FTSE 250 [...]
Government slashes red tape to tackle housing crisis May 28, 2025 The government will slash red tape to get more construction by smaller building firms off the ground, and to “get working people on the housing ladder,” Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner has said as Labour looks to promote its pro-business credentials. A relaxation of environmental protections is expected, including Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) requirements which [...]
HMRC review signals potential pension tax changes in Autumn May 28, 2025 Rachel Reeves could target pension savers in fresh tax grab as the Chancellor looks for additional ways to fund the government’s ballooning spending. His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has published research as part of an official review of workplace retirement schemes, exploring cuts to the tax benefits of salary sacrifice pension schemes. The schemes, [...]
Starmer’s bid to ease welfare cuts piles pressure on Rachel Reeves May 26, 2025 Keir Starmer has told his cabinet to jettison the two-child benefit cap, according to reports over the weekend, in a move that piles pressure on the Treasury and chancellor Rachel Reeves. The cap, which was introduced by the Conservative party a decade ago, prevents low-income families from receiving additional universal credit after the first two [...]