Rachel Reeves to slash environmental protections to boost builders August 18, 2025 Rachel Reeves is looking to take the axe to environmental protections blocking infrastructure projects in a bid to boost Labour’s building pledges. The Chancellor is considering reforms to prevent nature concerns from inhibiting new developments as she desperately looks to supercharge her growth agenda. Labour’s Planning and Infrastructure bill is in the committee stage at [...]
UK economy grows faster than expected in June August 14, 2025 The UK economy grew 0.4 per cent in June, official data has shown, in an unexpected turnaround following months of tariff and tax uncertainty. In the second quarter, GDP rose by 0.3 per cent after declining in both April and May. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the UK services sector, which makes up [...]
Bank of England interest rate cut offers modest boost for UK SMEs August 11, 2025 The Bank of England’s recent decision to reduce its base interest rate from 4.25 per cent to four per cent marks the first time borrowing costs have fallen to this level since March 2023, offering a modest reprieve for UK small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) after two years of elevated rates. According to new analysis [...]
Bank of England cuts interest rates in historic vote August 7, 2025 The Bank of England has cut interest rates to four per cent in an unprecedented double vote as Monetary Policy Committee members clashed on the impacts of a crumbling jobs market and higher food prices. Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) members were told to vote a second time after four members voting for a 25 basis [...]
Brits are gloomy – and not just about the weather August 5, 2025 Writers often agonise over how a column performs. I can see how many people read the online version of the Editor’s Letter and while our analytics don’t yet tell me what people make of my opinions they often spark a lively debate on LinkedIn. That can be satisfying, but that’s a self-selecting crowd of people [...]
Week in Business: Is it time to leave the country? July 31, 2025 Facing low growth and high taxes, more and more of my friends are having the same conversation, for the same reasons.
Rachel Reeves could use bank windfall tax to plug Labour’s U-turns July 31, 2025 Rachel Reeves could launch a fresh tax grab on banks to plug the spending holes left by Labour’s recent U-turns, new analysis has found. The Chancellor is poised to hike taxes in the Autumn Budget after a series of government policy switches eroded her already wafer-thin fiscal headroom of £9.9bn. This comes as fresh research [...]
HSBC boss: Rachel Reeves hiking bank tax would dent growth July 30, 2025 The boss of FTSE 100 juggernaut HSBC has become the latest banking voice to warn Rachel Reeves against raising taxes on banks over fears it would harm economic growth. Georges Elhedery, HSBC’s chief executive, said on Wednesday any further financial pressures on lenders could spark trouble for the UK economy. “Additional taxation on banks runs [...]
Smart Pension invests £330m into Octopus Energy fund as Mansion House Accord bears fruit July 29, 2025 Smart Pension has made a £330m investment into two funds managed by Octopus Energy in an early sign the Chancellor’s Mansion House Accord is beginning to bear fruit. The pensions firm, which has more than £7bn in assets under management, said the commitment will represent 5 per cent of the portfolio of its default fund, [...]
Rachel Reeves urges cabinet to boost British jobs as employment slides July 26, 2025 Rachel Reeves has told cabinet ministers to ensure government contracts go to companies that will boost British workers as employment figures continue to struggle. The Chancellor, along with Chancellor to the Duchy of Lancaster Pat McFadden, told their colleagues that the billions in public spending on transport and infrastructure projects must be utilised as an [...]