Labour exploring plans for ‘Britcard’ digital ID to curb illegal migration June 6, 2025 Labour is exploring a new national, universal digital ID card for every adult in the UK to tackle illegal migration. The ID is being tentatively branded as ‘Britcard’, and could be downloaded onto a smartphone in the shape of a “free verifier app”. Plans for the digital ID were laid out in detail by the [...]
Farage considered ‘more working class’ than Starmer, polling finds June 6, 2025 Reform leader Nigel Farage is seen by voters to have more solid working class credentials than Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, fresh polling by More in Common has found. 19 per cent see the Reform leader as a member of the working class. For Starmer, the number is 17 per cent. This follows Farage’s claim [...]
What is fiscal drag and how you can avoid it? June 6, 2025 Millions more people will find themselves paying higher income tax due to frozen tax thresholds, but there are ways to prepare. Around 8.3m people will be paying more tax by 2029, a forecast from the Office for Budget Responsibility shows. This phenomenon is known as fiscal drag. Fiscal drag occurs when earnings rise but tax [...]
Seven in 10 bosses think workers’ rights bill will dent growth June 6, 2025 Over seven in 10 bosses believe the government’s flagship workers’ rights overhaul will kibosh efforts to kickstart economic growth and lead to fewer new hires and more outsourcing of work abroad, fresh research has shown. According to a poll by the Institute of Directors (IoD), 72 per cent of business leaders in Britain believe that, [...]
Labour’s not for turning but the Inheritance Tax battle will rumble on June 5, 2025 Civil servants and politicians could not believe their eyes. As the hoarse grumble of diesel motors thundered along Whitehall, a fleet of tractors descended onto Parliament Square, heralded by a cacophony of honks to the tune of Aqua’s Barbie Girl. Beginning in November, farmers marched to Westminster to protest the government’s inheritance tax (IHT) reforms. [...]
Rachel Reeves to shake up pensions to boost UK investment June 5, 2025 The government is set to shake up UK pensions today, with Rachel Reeves planning several government-backed megafunds to boost pension wealth and investment. In the most significant reform to the pensions system since 2021, the bill will focus on six areas – from giving the government a “reserve” power to force pension schemes to invest [...]
End net zero levies raising energy bills, CBI boss to demand June 5, 2025 Net zero costs which push up energy prices and “anchor” businesses’ ambitions to grow must end, the boss of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) will tell government officials at an event in London on Thursday evening. Rain Newton-Smith, the chief executive of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), is set to urge the Treasury [...]
Welfare U-turns show Starmer puts party ahead of country June 5, 2025 The Conservatives are the only political party able to say they take the country’s £100bn debt bill and £65bn welfare bill seriously, says Jamila Robertson We have heard the government assert time and again, that they are taking the difficult decisions. Almost a year on, with inflation up from two per cent to 3.5 per [...]
Government warned over demand for landlords to retrofit homes June 5, 2025 Government plans to improve the energy efficiency of private rented housing are “unachievable” due to a shortage of skilled workers, the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) has warned. Under current proposals by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), which are aimed at keeping homes warm and energy bills low, landlords have until [...]
UK to miss out on tourism boom due to ‘layer upon layer’ of taxes June 4, 2025 UK tourism is at risk of suffering a decline as visitors are deciding against going to Britain due to the Treasury’s stringent tax policies, a key industry official has said, in the latest sign of the toll tax hikes are taking. Julia Simpson, the former British Airways chief who now heads up the World Travel [...]