Burnham: Social care reforms to be paid by new taxes Healthcare Andy Burnham has said proposed social care reforms would be funded by new taxes after a General Election, claiming he wanted to create a new system where “everyone contributes”. The Prime Minister said a plan for a national care service would be presented at the next election, which may only come in 2029. Baroness Louise [...]
‘Knock that dead’: Burnham rules out calling early election Politics Andy Burnham has said the next election will be in 2029 as he ruled out an early snap vote during interviews with local broadcasters. In an interview with ITV North West and Yorkshire, Burnham confirmed that the next General Election would take place at the end of this parliament. Reports suggested that Number 10 was [...]
‘Last days of the honeymoon’: Anxious bosses prepare charm offensive at Labour conference Politics Ahead of the Labour Party Conference on Sunday, and one month away from the Budget, businesses are feeling nervous, write Mauricio Alencar and Felix Armstrong Stepping onto an early-morning Avanti West Coast train from London Euston is now a familiar feeling for the Prime Minister. Andy Burnham is set to make the journey more regularly [...]
Personal allowance hike on the menu at October Budget September 24, 2026 The Chancellor is weighing up proposals to raise the personal allowance at next month’s Budget in what could be the biggest shake-up to income tax rules in years. John Healey is reportedly considering unfreezing the income threshold at which earners start paying tax from £12,570 to as much as £15,570. The unfreezing would be the [...]
OBR chief: Public ‘have not lowered their expectations about what the state can do’ September 24, 2026 A top economist at the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) has sent a warning on the effect more tax rises could have on growth and on the public’s expectations about “what the state can do for them”. Professor David Miles, who is one of three top members at the independent fiscal watchdog, said that the [...]
Will Airtel Money kickstart London’s IPO pipeline? September 24, 2026 London’s sluggish IPO market showed signs of a rebound on Wednesday as Airtel Money confirmed plans for a bumper listing – now the City is hoping it will get the domestic pipeline moving, writes Charlie Conchie. When Airtel Money’s chief executive spoke to City AM yesterday to discuss the launch of his African payment firm’s [...]
Treasury’s new Head of Growth will have their work cut out September 24, 2026 Do you want the good news or the bad news? Trick question, I’m afraid. There is no good news. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has revised its forecast for UK economic growth this year from 0.9 per cent to 1.1 per cent, but – before you reach for the champagne – they’ve [...]
Business versus the Budget: How a ‘dismal’ fiscal picture could disrupt Labour’s Party conference September 24, 2026 As business chiefs look forward to the Labour Party conference and the ensuing Budget, Maurício Alencar explores how a difficult fiscal backdrop could disrupt meetings and undermine high expectations. In the months leading up to the Budget, hundreds of notes fly through the Treasury’s letterbox. Emails ping on officials’ phones. Lobbyists for academics, retailers, councillors, [...]
Burnham ally Jim O’Neill: Debt costs are ‘increasingly crazy’ and triple lock must go September 23, 2026 The cost to taxpayers of paying off the interest on UK government debt is “increasingly crazy”, according to a top economist who advised Andy Burnham. Lord Jim O’Neill, the former Goldman Sachs executive who advised Burnham in his run-up to Downing Street, told LBC that debit interest payments far outweighing the defence budget were “increasingly [...]
Reeves’ ‘ambitious’ £14bn savings plan leaves Healey with a Budget headache September 23, 2026 Cost saving measures pencilled in by the last government have dramatically reduced Chancellor John Healey’s ability to look for spending cuts and efficiency gains at his first Budget, economists have warned, raising the prospect of fresh tax hikes. Healey is under pressure to rebuild his £23.6bn fiscal buffer, which is predicted to shrink due to [...]