Slump in housebuilding casts doubt on government’s new homes pledge December 5, 2024 Tim Moore, economics director at S&P Global Market Intelligence, said housebuilding was suffering from a "sustained downturn".
ISA changes to be government priority in 2025 says AJ Bell boss December 5, 2024 AJ Bell’s boss has said that ISA simplification is expected to be a priority for the government next year. “My understanding is that in 2025 we’ll see some progress on ISA simplification, and we’ll look to engage with government as part of that,” said AJ Bell CEO Michael Summersgill. There had been anticipation of a shakeup in [...]
More big tax rises are ‘inevitable’, ING says December 5, 2024 Rachel Reeves will have to do another “big top-up” of tax rises this parliament, analysts at a major bank have said, despite the Chancellor previously vowing not to. In its outlook for 2025, published today, Dutch lender ING said that Reeves’ controversial October Budget “is likely just the beginning” of several more Budgets characterised by [...]
Could Elon Musk and Nigel Farage upend British politics? December 5, 2024 Labour’s majority is enormous, but it only gives us the appearance of stability. All the evidence suggests their support is broad but shallow and their victory was as much a question of good luck and good timing as it was a literal vote of support for Labour’s policies. The Tory party is basically neck and [...]
Junk food advertising ban defies common sense December 5, 2024 The government’s ban on advertising foods deemed unhealthy is a big fat win for the nanny state, but it will end up costing us, says John Oxley Christmas is coming, and that means a deluge of seasonal advertising and, for most of us, overindulgence. This might be the last time we can enjoy those two [...]
Hedge fund managers could buy land, MPs told, as Tories fail to scrap ‘farm tax’ December 4, 2024 Hedge fund managers could buy up farmland if UK farmers sell up to avoid the inheritance levy, MPs were told, as the Tories brought a vote on the so-called ‘family farms tax’. Conservative MPs used an opposition day debate on Wednesday to bring a Commons vote on Labour’s Budget measure which would see farmers pay [...]
If Starmer really wants to change Britain, he’ll need more than targets December 4, 2024 In a major speech today, Keir Starmer will outline his ‘plan for change’, but the public didn’t vote for targets, they voted for transformation, says Anna McShane Politics moves very quickly. Just as the first 100 days came and went, within a blink of an eye we’ll find ourselves heading towards another election and asking [...]
PMQs: Reeves ‘coming back for more’ in next Budget, Badenoch warns December 4, 2024 Chancellor Rachel Reeves will be “coming back for more” borrowing and further tax rises in her next Budget, according to Tory leader Kemi Badenoch. During a feisty PMQs the Conservative leader railed against the Prime Minister who she said “failed to repeat the Chancellor’s pledge of no more borrowing and no more taxes”. After referencing [...]
South Western Railway, C2C and Greater Anglia to be nationalised in 2025 December 4, 2024 SWR will come under state ownership in May, followed by C2C and Greater Anglia in July and autumn 2025, respectively.
Starmer needs a rethink, not a relaunch December 4, 2024 It doesn’t take a huge stretch of the imagination to picture a communist bureaucrat issuing a decree: “Comrades, I can announce today that four years from now 92 per cent of routine operations will be carried out within our new national target of just four and a half months – realising a goal that has [...]