Rare reprieve for Reeves as ONS says data error cuts borrowing by £3bn October 8, 2025 Chancellor Rachel Reeves has been handed a rare reprieve ahead of the Budget after a data error reported by the UK’s statistics authority reduced expected public borrowing by £3bn. A mistake in the counting of value added tax receipts by tax collector HMRC was identified in an update by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). [...]
Former CPS top lawyer: China spy case ‘does not add up’ October 8, 2025 Public prosecutors have said a Chinese spy case involving Christopher Cash and Christopher Berry was dropped due the lack of evidence provided by the Labour government on labelling the country a threat. The Director of Public Prosecutions Stephen Parkinson said the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) tried to take evidence from the government “over many months” [...]
Reeves urged to increase alcohol taxes to tackle workplace drinking October 8, 2025 Pubs and restaurants up and down the country could be forced to serve up higher booze prices as Rachel Reeves has been urged to add fresh alcohol levies to her menu of tax rises at next month’s Budget. The Institute for Public Policy Research, a left-leaning think tank with close ties to the government, has [...]
Conference season has made one thing clear: Labour has already failed October 8, 2025 Polling in the aftermath of Labour conference tells a brutal story of a party that has already failed, writes Brandon Lewis.
When it comes to work, Britain has an attitude problem October 8, 2025 It's not rocket science that more growth requires more workers, so why is our government burying its head in the sand, asks Emma Revell.
Mel Stride: I would raise income tax in Rachel Reeves’ position October 7, 2025 Shadow Chancellor Mel Stride has said he would raise income taxes if he were in Rachel Reeves’ position, facing a £30bn black hole in the public finances. Speaking at a fringe event at the Tory party conference in Manchester, Stride said raising income taxes was the “cleanest” tax hike option available. His comments will likely [...]
Labour’s tobacco bill risks empowering black market, warns shadow minister October 7, 2025 The Labour government’s proposed Tobacco and Vapes Bill could hand a significant boost to criminal gangs and fuel the growing black market in illicit goods across the UK, the shadow policing minister has warned. Matt Vickers MP has told City AM that the legislation, aimed at curbing smoking and youth vaping, fails to address the [...]
Brits fear Rachel Reeves’ next Budget will make them worse off October 7, 2025 A majority of Britons believe Rachel Reeves’ next Budget will make them worse off while three in four have lost faith in the government’s growth mission, fresh polling reveals. The Labour government has made growing the UK economy its central mission in government in a bid to claw back support across the electorate. But the [...]
China spy row reveals a divided Whitehall October 7, 2025 The UK’s relationship with China has swung through various degrees of warmth in recent years, but there have been some recurring themes. When David Cameron and George Osborne hailed the “golden era” of UK-China relations more than a decade ago, critics accused the pair of naivety and even recklessness. Nick Timothy, who would go on [...]
Reform in poll surge as Starmer’s approval rating remains worst in UK October 6, 2025 Reform UK has extended its lead over Labour in the polls as Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s approval ratings remained the worst of any top British political figure despite rallying calls for voters to back the government in defeating Nigel Farage. The latest monthly City AM/Freshwater Strategy poll shows Nigel Farage’s Reform UK gaining two points [...]