Planning bill will ‘avoid bat tunnels’, housing minister claims March 11, 2025 The government hopes its planning reforms will “avoid bat tunnels”, the housing minister has said. It comes as Labour unveiled major changes to the UK’s planning permissions system – as part of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill – with measures to overhaul how developers meet environmental obligations, replacing site-specific schemes with a general fund. Speaking [...]
Labour’s growth agenda? Necessary but not sufficient. March 11, 2025 Ministers will be deeply frustrated at the lack of economic growth, though they ought not to be surprised. Their own missteps have been well covered in this newspaper, and week after week new survey data reveals the extent to which government policies have dampened spirits, reduced hiring and spooked confidence. However, while their opening salvo [...]
Tories call on Labour to abandon flagship Employment Rights Bill March 10, 2025 The Labour government’s controversial Employment Rights Bill returns to Parliament on Tuesday when it will face a fresh assault from Tory MPs, with shadow business secretary Andrew Griffith claiming the Bill will “take Britain back to the dark days of the 1970s.” Labour’s flagship legislation aims to boost protections against unfair dismissal, improve conditions for [...]
Households close to pylons to get £250 off annual energy bills March 10, 2025 Households situated near new pylons will receive hundreds of pounds off their annual energy bills as part of a government overhaul of the UK’s planning system. Proposals laid out this week will see residents within half a kilometre of new or upgraded electricty systems gain access to a bill discount scheme allowing them £2,500 off [...]
Government to hit regulators with performance targets to drive innovation March 10, 2025 Regulators will be slapped with new performance targets in an effort to stimulate technological innovation and drive investment in the UK. According to Lord Patrick Vallance, the science minister, the benchmarks will be designed to accelerate innovation. Lord Vallance has suggested that this drive for innovation could result in commercial delivery drones, self-driving vehicles, and [...]
Government unveils £23m boost for telecoms March 10, 2025 The UK government has announced a £23m investment in telecoms research and development, aiming to strengthen connectivity across key industries like AI, cloud computing, and agriculture. The funding forms part of science and technology secretary Peter Kyle’s plans to accelerate the deployment of next generation telecoms technologies. He is expected to confirm the funding during [...]
More than 300,000 businesses plan job cuts as Reeves’ Budget starts to bite March 10, 2025 More than 300,000 businesses are expected to lay off workers, as a flurry of data reveals a jobs market slowdown following the government’s Budget measures on employment. The £25bn rise in national insurance contributions (NICs) announced by the Chancellor in October is set to kick in next month, while businesses are also reportedly spooked by [...]
Employment reforms “highly damaging” to investment, warns CBI chief March 7, 2025 The government’s proposed reforms to employment law would be “highly damaging” to business investment in the UK, according to CBI president Rupert Soames. Writing in The Times, Soames argued that this week’s U-turns on more controversial aspects of the legislation – from changes to statutory sick pay, to tweaks to protections for agency workers and [...]
Chancellor facing £10bn headache in Spring Statement March 6, 2025 Rachel Reeves faces a tax and spend nightmare at the Spring Statement, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) think tank. In a lengthy report, the IFS says Reeves is snookered between the realities of a bleak economic environment and her own self-imposed fiscal rules, resulting in what could amount to a £10bn tax [...]
Rachel Reeves calls for action to break down gender barriers to boost growth March 6, 2025 Ahead of International Women’s Day, chancellor Rachel Reeves has called for urgent action to dismantle barriers preventing women from reaching leadership positions. Her comments follow the release of new research from Vodafone, which found that over a third of women still see gender as a barrier to career progression. “The UK is leading the charge [...]