UK founders slam Labour as “anti-business” November 20, 2025 UK founders are increasingly losing confidence in Labour’s approach to businesses, as they brace for potential tax rises in the upcoming Autumn Budget. According to the latest survey from entrepreneur network Helm – whose members oversee more than £8bn in annual revenue – over 60 per cent of founders hailed the government as “anti-business” with [...]
Budget chaos isn’t a game, it’s caused real harm November 20, 2025 It’s been the longest run-up to a Budget anyone can remember, it started just after the last Budget, so how much damage has this chaos caused? In her first speech as Chancellor in the first week of July last year, Rachel Reeves used the word stability 8 times. She pledged to “deliver economic stability” and [...]
OBR questioned on Reeves’ flip-flopping and forecast changes November 20, 2025 The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR)’s chief has been questioned on whether he dramatically upgraded forecasts midway through the Chancellor’s Budget planning, affording Rachel Reeves as much as a £10bn swing in headroom projections and allowing her to abandon plans to raise income taxes. Shadow Chancellor Mel Stride has written to Richard Hughes, chair of [...]
Andy Burnham makes £1bn challenge to Starmer and Reeves before the Budget November 20, 2025 Andy Burnham has revealed a £1bn growth plan for Manchester in a move which could be seen as a direct challenge to both Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Chancellor Rachel Reeves less than a week before the Budget. The Mayor of Greater Manchester has touted the proposals as a way to “pioneer a new [...]
Only a new leader can save Labour now November 20, 2025 Starmer and Reeves have a majority but not a mandate and are too weak to deliver anything. Only a new leader can give the markets and the OBR confidence that they have an actual plan, says Helen Thomas As Budget preparation ploughs into the final furlong, the next field is already lining up on the [...]
London, Manchester and Edinburgh to bear the brunt of mansion tax November 19, 2025 A mansion tax in next week’s Budget could stifle property markets and disproportionately harm homeowners in London, Manchester and Edinburgh, tax experts have warned. Rachel Reeves is reportedly planning a mansion tax raid on high-value properties, as she takes a “smorgasbord” approach to the Budget after last week’s dramatic income tax U-turn. The Chancellor has [...]
Keir Starmer remains tight-lipped on stealth tax U-turn November 19, 2025 Keir Starmer refused to rule out introducing tax hikes on British workers despite being challenged on past commitments to unfreeze tax thresholds from 2028. Starmer attempted to deflect opposition leader Kemi Badenoch’s questions as she recited comments he and the Chancellor had made over the last year on pledges not to extend a freeze on [...]
Fans support Independent Football Regulator but unsure on remit November 19, 2025 The majority of fans back the new Independent Football Regulator but are divided on its remit, a new study has shown. Sport’s latest quango, the Independent Football Regulator, is up and running with a remit to make the English game more sustainable. Early plans suggest the regulator could have the power to force the sale [...]
Inflation stays high in pre-Budget warning to Reeves November 19, 2025 Inflation hit 3.6 per cent in the year to October, it has been revealed, in the last set of prices data Chancellor Rachel Reeves will see before a crucial Budget focused on curbing the cost of living. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said inflation cooled slightly from last month’s figure of 3.8 per cent, [...]
My advice for Rachel Reeves? Learn how to spin a yarn November 19, 2025 Economic history shows us the importance of a narrative. If Rachel Reeves wants to help the economy, she needs to learn how to tell a story.