UK needs new settlement with EU, business group boss urges March 20, 2025 The UK’s businesses need a new settlement with the EU, the boss of one of the biggest business groups is urging. Shevaun Haviland, director-general of the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), is calling for growth-driven improvements to the UK-EU relationship. It comes ahead of the organisation’s 2025 Driving International Trade Conference in central London, on [...]
PMQs: Starmer won’t repeat pledge to unfreeze income tax thresholds March 19, 2025 Sir Keir Starmer has been accused of “plotting stealth taxes” after he failed to repeat Rachel Reeves’ pledge to unfreeze income tax thresholds. The Prime Minister was pushed on his economic plans ahead of next week’s spring statement – which Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch branded an “emergency budget”. During Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs) on Wednesday, [...]
Don’t ask business to ‘shoulder more burden’, CBI chief urges March 19, 2025 The government should not “ask businesses to shoulder any more of a burden”, the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) chief has warned in the wake of the welfare cuts. Work and pensions secretary Lilz Kendall announced on Tuesday a raft of welfare measures she said will help bring more working age people back into jobs. [...]
Welfare reforms: What are the politics of Labour’s benefits changes? March 19, 2025 Over the past few weeks, it’s been hard to avoid reports of the government preparing the ground for a string of changes to the UK’s welfare system. Call it kite flying, pitch rolling, or testing the waters, when work and pensions secretary Liz Kendall got to her feet in the House of Commons on Tuesday, [...]
Liz Kendall unveils welfare reform package aimed at saving £5bn by 2030 March 18, 2025 Liz Kendall has unveiled a major package of reforms to the UK’s welfare system with the aim of saving the government £5bn by 2030.
Kemi Badenoch: Tories to look at ‘achievable solutions’ for clean energy March 18, 2025 Kemi Badenoch has said net zero is “impossible” for Britain to achieve by 2050 and that her party will look at “achievable solutions”. The Conservative Party leader outlined her plans for the Tories to renew their policy programme at a speech in London, as she set out her stall ahead of the May local elections. [...]
Kemi Badenoch: Net Zero by 2050 is “impossible” March 18, 2025 Kemi Badenoch is set to launch a party “policy renewal” process starting with net zero and energy as she is expected to claim net zero by 2050 is “impossible”. The Conservative leader will say her party would “confront the real problems” but that she is not making a “moral judgement” on net zero or debating [...]
Jonathan Reynolds in Washington for first in-person trade talks March 18, 2025 Jonathan Reynolds is in Washington DC for the first in-person trade talks under President Donald Trump’s administration. The business and trade secretary is in the US capital today for talks which officials said were aimed at strengthening UK-US ties and to discuss a wider economic deal. Reynolds will meet US commerce secretary Howard Lutnick and [...]
Keir Starmer vows to cut costs for business and ‘unleash’ private sector March 17, 2025 Sir Keir Starmer has vowed to cut costs for businesses and “unleash the power of the private sector” in a bid to deliver economic growth. Writing for City AM the Prime Minister described it as “an outrage” that the government “does not know how much it costs business to comply with the regulations imposed on [...]
Employment dips as businesses brace for cost hikes March 17, 2025 Employment shrank by 0.4 per cent in February as small businesses prepare for rising costs, according to a new report from the hiring platform Employment Hero. In a monthly report looking at data from 105,000 employees, the company found that employment reforms and business tax hikes in the Budget have impacted hiring and employee retention. [...]