Government signs landmark billion-pound trade deal with India May 6, 2025 Billions of pounds in extra trade could soon flow between India and the UK after the two nations signed a landmark free trade agreement, ending years of protracted negotiations. The deal, which the UK government said was the most “economically significant” free trade agreement signed since Brexit and the “best deal India has ever agreed”, [...]
How to shield your pension from Labour’s inheritance tax raid May 6, 2025 According to new analysis by Quilter, just two per cent of estates subject to inheritance tax (IHT) are currently taking advantage of surplus income gifting to reduce their tax liabilities. Based on freedom of information (FOI) requests carried out by the wealth management firm, just 1,490 estates are currently taking advantage of the rules, but Quilter expects [...]
UK services sent into decline amid ‘market turbulence’ May 6, 2025 UK output was sent into decline by “market turbulence” in April for the first time in one and a half years, prompting fears that Chancellor Reeves’ £40bn tax raid last autumn was damaging the country’s services economy. The services sector, which is seen as the engine behind UK growth, had been on a 17-month winning [...]
Non-dom exodus could cost the Treasury £12.2bn May 6, 2025 Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ decision to remove tax exemptions for non-doms could lead to “billions” in losses from the public purse, new research has suggested, in a blow to the Treasury’s fiscal plans. Reeves followed through with manifesto pledges by removing tax exemptions from mega-rich non-domiciled individuals at last year’s Autumn Budget, something the Office for [...]
Home Office to clamp down on visa overstays amid pressure from Farage May 6, 2025 New Home Office rules would put curbs on work and study visas from nationalities most at risk of overstaying and going on to claim asylum as part of Labour’s push to reduce net migration. Applications from Pakistanis, Nigerians and Sri Lankans are among those set to be restricted, according to a report in The Times. [...]
When words matter more than numbers at the Bank of England May 5, 2025 City analysts have pencilled in their predictions for Thursday. Here’s how almost all of them likely read. Interest rates will be cut to 4.25 per cent, the Bank of England’s inflation forecast for this year will exceed its two per cent target and President Trump’s tariffs will be highlighted as a detriment to UK growth. [...]
Ed Miliband’s net-zero plans risk causing blackouts, says Union boss May 5, 2025 The boss of one Labour’s largest supporting unions has urged Sir Keir Starmer to ignore the “false prophets of climate fundamentalism” and rethink the current net-zero timetable. Writing in the Times, GMB General Secretary Gary Smith warned the government’s pledge to transition to clean power by 2030 could lead to blackouts akin to those in [...]
Reform’s local election sweep puts Starmer and Badenoch in hot seat May 3, 2025 Sir Keir Starmer and Kemi Badenoch face pressure to reverse their parties’ fortunes after the local elections saw Reform UK make major gains across England. Nigel Farage hailed the results as “the end of two-party politics” and “the death of the Conservative Party” as Reform picked up 10 councils and more than 600 seats in [...]
Live results: Reform takes ten county councils in local elections landslide May 2, 2025 Reform is set to pick up hundreds of council seats around the country both from the Conservatives and Labour, in a significant electoral breakthrough. So far, the party has gained more than 500 seats, with the vast majority still to be counted and formally announced. In a major coup for Reform, it has taken control [...]
Reform picks up new MP and first ever mayoralty May 2, 2025 Reform UK has crystallised months of strong polling data into substantial gains at the local elections, winning a knife-edge by-election and securing its first mayoralty. Nigel Farage’s party won in Runcorn and Helsby by just six votes, with Sarah Pochin elected as its new MP – replacing former Labour MP Mike Amesbury, who was convicted [...]