Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber’s theatre empire braced for Reeves’ tax hike March 18, 2025 Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber’s theatre empire has warned it is bracing for the “notable impact” the hike in employer’s National Insurance contributions (NICs) when it comes into force next month. Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced in her Budget in October 2024 that NICs would rise by 1.2 per cent from April to 15 per cent in [...]
PMQs: Starmer accused of ‘trash’ talking and ‘job-killing’ by Badenoch March 12, 2025 Sir Keir Starmer was accused of talking “trash” and leading a “job-killing” government by Kemi Badenoch at a fiery Prime Minister’s Questions session. The Conservative Party leader hit out at the Prime Minister amid clashes over the state of the UK’s economy, councils and Labour’s Budget in the House of Commons on Wednesday. Badenoch responded [...]
‘Encouraging’ signs for UK economy as business confidence rebounds February 28, 2025 Business confidence rebounded rapidly in February, according to a new survey, with firms increasingly optimistic about the health of the economy.
Interest rates to fall to 3.5 per cent City firm predicts February 27, 2025 Paul Dales, chief UK economist at the City consultancy, said it was "very unusual" for the Bank of England to cut interest rates when inflation is expected to rise further even further above target.
Is Kemi Badenoch up for the fight? February 27, 2025 What is Kemi Badenoch for? If you’re now asking yourself “who’s Kemi Badenoch?” then she really is in trouble. In the four months since being elected leader of the Conservative Party, she has attempted to make a virtue out of vagueness. She explains, not unreasonably, that her party has to reflect on what went wrong [...]
Businesses face ‘powder keg’ of costs as Budget tax hikes loom February 26, 2025 The vast majority of businesses will be forced to change their plans as a result of the government’s tax raid, a new survey shows, which will result in higher prices for consumers and thousands of lost jobs. More than four out of five business leaders (82 per cent) said Labour’s national insurance hike will have [...]
Budget costing jobs and pushing up inflation, survey suggests February 21, 2025 Excluding the pandemic, employment fell at the fastest pace since the global financial crisis, the survey suggested.
Public service reform is pro-business, pensions minister argues February 20, 2025 Reforming Britain’s public services is a pro-growth and pro-business policy, the pensions minister has argued. Torsten Bell, who was appointed in the mini-reshuffle following City minister Tulip Siddiq’s departure from government, has said it’s not possible to have a “failing state and a growing economy”, in an interview with the Guardian. The former Resolution Foundation [...]
Checkatrade CEO: ‘My plan to get Britain growing again’ February 20, 2025 The chief executive of Checkatrade has revealed what he would like the government to change in order to boost British businesses and get the country growing again. Speaking during an up-coming episode of City AM’s Boardroom Uncovered interview series, Jambu Palaniappan argued Labour should reform the rules around planning permission to made it easier for [...]
Insolvencies rise at start of 2025 as businesses brace for extra costs February 18, 2025 The number of insolvencies rose at the start of the year, in a sign that UK businesses continue to struggle ahead of a looming increase in employment costs.