‘Sigh of relief’ as Healey woos British founders with £10m tax break October 29, 2026 Britain’s startup founders have welcomed a sweeping package of tax breaks in John Healey’s first Budget, but investors warned that the Chancellor’s attempt to keep the country’s most promising businesses at home will fall short without more capital to help them grow. At the centre of Wednesday’s announcement was a new Founders’ Relief, offering entrepreneurs [...]
Healey’s Budget spoiled by ‘grim’ living standards squeeze October 29, 2026 Britain is trapped in a “grim” decade of stagnant living standards, the budget watchdog has said, after John Healey kicked some of the government’s toughest spending decisions on defence and welfare into next year. The government’s fiscal watchdog said that families are about to see household income drop as a result of the country’s rising [...]
Budget 2026: Healey leans on private sector for defence investment drive October 28, 2026 The Chancellor has set up a new defence financing taskforce and unveiled fresh funding for investment in the arms industry amid a concerted effort to lean on the private sector to drive Britain’s rearmament push. John Healey swerved any concrete public sector defence pledges at his maiden Budget, promising to provide detail on how the [...]
Budget 2026: Government to ‘act soon’ to address gender pay gap and pay transparency October 28, 2026 The government is addressing “calls” to introduce mandatory pay transparency in job adverts and tackle gender pay gaps at firms, chancellor John Healey said in his Budget. Healey said he has “heard calls” to introduce the measure that will ensure employers will be required to disclose salary ranges on job listings, as well as confirming [...]
Capital gains tax incentive may benefit but ‘disrupt’ professional services sector October 28, 2026 The new capital gains tax incentive Chancellor John Healey unveiled in his Budget may benefit LLP firms in the professional services sector if they qualify, but it also risks disrupting partner dynamics within the firms. Healey announced the so-called ‘Founder’s Relief’ capital gains tax (CGT) incentive in his Budget speech on Wednesday in a bid [...]
Healey avoids bond market backlash with ‘placeholder Budget’ October 28, 2026 John Healey has managed to avoid punishment at the hands of the bond market through a “placeholder Budget” that delayed big decisions on defence and welfare and left questions hanging over the government’s future spending plans. The Chancellor announced a raft of cost of living measures as part of his fiscal statement, funded by taxes [...]
Budget 2026: Healey bets £700m on AI to boost British tech firms October 28, 2026 John Healey has unveiled more than £700m in funding for AI safety and British tech firms, including a new £40m unit to tackle rogue AI systems. The package, much of which was trailed ahead of Wednesday’s Budget, includes £120m for the AI Security Institute and £165m for biosecurity, as ministers seek to strengthen Britain’s defences [...]
‘Pretty bold’: Burnham jumps to defend Healey’s Budget October 28, 2026 Andy Burnham has jumped to the defence of John Healey’s first Budget, claiming it was “pretty bold” and looked to “help everybody”. The Prime Minister said on Wednesday afternoon that the Chancellor delivered on support to British households and businesses. He told broadcasters: “It’s pretty bold to help 20m households with their energy costs through [...]
London to get Bakerloo Line extension and Euston upgrade in devolution push October 28, 2026 London mayor Sir Sadiq Khan will be handed powers to deliver the Bakerloo Line extension and a huge upgrade to Euston station as part of the government’s push for devolution, City AM can reveal. Under new plans to allow mayors to retain income tax receipts generated locally and exploit finance schemes to fund infrastructure, Khan [...]
Labour workers’ rights overhaul to inflict ‘negative’ hit on economy, OBR says October 28, 2026 Britain’s fiscal watchdog has warned Labour’s overhaul of workers’ rights will have a “negative economic impact” as the cost to businesses will far outstrip any boost to workers’ productivity. The government’s sweeping employment reforms in its landmark Employment Rights Act (ERA) have reduced the qualifying period for unfair dismissal to six months, removed the compensation [...]