Tesco urges Healey to slash ‘fundamentally unfair’ business rates Retail The boss of Tesco has urged John Healey to reform the “fundamentally unfair” business rates system and avoid a so-called warehouse tax. Ken Murphy, chief executive of the UK’s biggest grocer, has become the latest retail industry figure to urge the Chancellor to cut taxes on high street businesses, as Andy Burnham pledges a revival [...]
Retailers demand energy bill cuts as costs rise by £440m Retail Retailers have urged John Healey to slash green policy costs from energy bills, warning that their electricity costs are set to soar by £440m this year. The British Retail Consortium (BRC) – which represents top retailers including Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Marks & Spencer – has warned that rising “policy costs” on energy bills will inevitably [...]
Healey plan to slash headroom would ‘not be received well’ by nervous bond market Markets John Healey’s reported plans to slash the breathing space the government has before it breaks its spending rules would spark a negative bond market reaction and lead investors to question the country’s commitment to fiscal credibility. Bond traders told City AM that any attempt to significantly reduce its so-called fiscal headroom would leave the country [...]
Will our fiscal psychodrama never end? September 22, 2026 I’m sure it wasn’t always like this. There was a time, really not that long ago in the grand scheme of things, when trying to predict the contents of an upcoming Budget was limited to dedicated policy wonks and Westminster’s most dogged journalists. These days, fiscal speculation is a major occupation for several months of [...]
Natwest chair: Boost investment in UK or risk ‘inter-generational crisis’ September 17, 2026 The chair of Natwest has warned the UK is in a “moment of national crisis” that can only be fixed by firing up investment in the country’s flagging economy. Rick Haythornthwaite, the City grandee who has also chaired the boards of Mastercard and Ocado, told City AM that years of political instability and poor decision-making [...]
Budget tax hikes would be ‘road to ruin,’ Healey warned September 6, 2026 A top business trade body has warned Chancellor John Healey that tax hikes at the October Budget would set the UK on the “road to ruin”. The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has urged the Chancellor not to “pile more taxes on firms,” saying that the Treasury should instead cut the costs facing firms to [...]
Business confidence hits two-year high ahead of Budget September 6, 2026 Business confidence has risen to a near-two-year high as the output of UK firms grows despite the looming October Budget. The optimism of British firms has reached its highest level since just before the 2024 Autumn Budget, according to advisory firm BDO. Its business optimism index jumped to 94.22 in August, fuelled by a strong [...]
Healey announces early Budget July 31, 2026 John Healey has confirmed he will deliver his first Budget on 28 October as he pledged to “shift power and money out of Westminster”. The Chancellor said on Friday that his first fiscal statement would “back Britain’s communities” setting the stage for a Budget that economists have predicted will be the country’s third in a [...]