‘Own goal’ – City chiefs warn Healey higher bank taxes hurt jobs outside London Economics Top City chiefs are launching last-ditch attempts to stop a punishing tax raid on banks at the Budget, warning the move will hurt jobs and growth outside of London. Rain Newton-Smith, the chief executive of the CBI, is set to warn Chancellor John Healey that increasing taxes on banks would be an “own goal for [...]
Healey told to cut employment taxes and energy bills to boost business Economics Britain’s biggest business lobby group has urged John Healey to cut employment taxes and energy bills in his first Budget, warning that further tax rises risk choking off investment and jobs. The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) called on the Chancellor to give firms “breathing space” at the Budget on 28 October, as businesses grapple [...]
Business versus the Budget: How a ‘dismal’ fiscal picture could disrupt Labour’s Party conference Economics As business chiefs look forward to the Labour Party conference and the ensuing Budget, Maurício Alencar explores how a difficult fiscal backdrop could disrupt meetings and undermine high expectations. In the months leading up to the Budget, hundreds of notes fly through the Treasury’s letterbox. Emails ping on officials’ phones. Lobbyists for academics, retailers, councillors, [...]
Businesses urge Healey to reduce cost pressures in pre-Budget campaigns September 10, 2026 The bosses of Britain’s largest industry groups have urged Chancellor John Healey to reduce the cost of business in order to boost growth across the UK economy, City AM has been informed. Several business chiefs sent letters to the Treasury on Wednesday night with demands for the government to relieve pressures on employers. Correspondence landing [...]
Burnham bounce? Business confidence tells a different story September 9, 2026 Labour may be improving in the polls under Andy Burnham, but overall support for the party is still very low. Economic confidence tells a similar story, says Paul Ormerod Both in the opinion polls and in local authority by-elections, there is clear evidence of a “Burnham bounce” for Labour. But in historical terms, support for [...]
Top business group urges Healey to cut NICs to ‘solve Neets crisis’ August 25, 2026 One of Britain’s most influential business bodies has urged Chancellor John Healey to cut taxes for employers at the Budget in order to “solve” the crisis facing Neets, who are young people not in employment, education or training. In a report published on Tuesday, the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) said Britain’s youth unemployment crisis [...]
Industry bodies call on Burnham to bring down energy bills to fire up growth July 14, 2026 Andy Burnham’s government must slash green levies on companies’ energy bills and bring forward support for energy-intensive industries if it wants to fire up Britain’s economy and win over a sceptical private sector, two of Britain’s largest industry bodies have said. In a joint report published today, the CBI and Energy UK called on the [...]
Financial services activity ‘drops rapidly’ as investors alarmed by Burnham July 6, 2026 Business activity across the financial services sector – one of the chief drivers of economic growth across the UK – has dropped sharply as confidence slumps, according to a new survey. Financial services firms, including banks and insurers, said business volumes had nosedived in the second quarter of the year. While the net reading for [...]
One in three defence firms ‘can’t find graduates to hire’ June 11, 2026 Nearly one in three defence firms can’t find graduates to hire despite a youth unemployment crisis, a new report has found, as universities have been urged to work more closely with businesses. Research by the University of Manchester and CBI Economics has suggested that skills shortages among young people has made it more difficult for [...]
CBI: 200,000 more Brits to face unemployment this year as growth crumbles June 9, 2026 The UK economy is set for further pain in the months ahead, a top business group has warned, as consumers and businesses across the country suffer the effects of the Iran conflict, surging energy prices and a raft of government tax hikes. The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has said that around 200,000 more Brits [...]