Former Bank of England rate-setter to become next OBR chair Economics A former rate-setter at the Bank of England and member of City AM’s Shadow Monetary Policy Committee is set to become the chair of the Office for Budget Responsibility, the fiscal watchdog which has come under pressure from MPs and inadvertently leaked last year’s Budget. Jonathan Haskel, professor of economics at Imperial College London, will [...]
Burnham to lay out economic plan, but markets fear Miliband as Chancellor Economics With more than three weeks to go before he can formally clinch the keys to 10 Downing Street, leadership challenger Andy Burnham is planning to make a major speech on the economy next week. It’s part of an effort to reassure the bond markets – to which he once said we shouldn’t be “in hock” [...]
OBR chiefs warn jostling Labour MPs against fiscal rules change Economics Office for Budget Responsibility chiefs have warned Labour activists against changing the fiscal rules and overall framework to account for longer term impacts of government investment. The OBR’s David Miles and Tom Josephs said a ten-year forecast horizon would make for a “less credible” economic report and may not have any impact on bond investors. [...]
Louise Haigh doubles down on demand for OBR overhaul February 24, 2026 Former transport secretary and vocal soft-left backbencher Louise Haigh has issued another plea for Chancellor Rachel Reeves to overhaul the Office for Budget Responsibility a week before the Spring Statement. In a swipe at the Chancellor’s management of the UK economy, Haigh argued that mandating the watchdog to produce five-year forecast windows “risks entrenching decline”. [...]
Government urged to quit X following ‘appalling’ Grok scandal January 8, 2026 Keir Starmer has been urged to pull his government off Elon Musk’s social media platform, X, after a former cabinet minister dubbed the platform ‘unconscionable’. Labour MP Louise Haigh, former transport secretary, has warned that her party and the government should entirely quit the site. This pressure comes in the wake of this week’s reports [...]
Labour deputy leader hopeful slams Rachel Reeves’ ‘excessive deference’ to OBR September 8, 2025 The prominent backbencher and former transport secretary Louise Haigh, who is a frontrunner to become the deputy leader of the Labour Party, has taken aim at Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ “excessive deference” to the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) and adhering to “arbitrary fiscal targets”. Senior officials in the Labour Party are set to agree on [...]
‘A failed operator’: CrossCountry repeatedly missed own performance targets despite cutting services March 28, 2025 Struggling rail operator CrossCountry has repeatedly breached its own performance targets despite cutting services late last year as part of a recovery plan, City AM understands. The former Transport Secretary, Louise Haigh, approved proposals by the operator to run a reduced timetable for three months between August and November after its performance was labelled “dire.” [...]
Train drivers seek to put ‘dent’ in cost of living in pay talks January 18, 2025 Train drivers in England will look to “put a dent” in the cost of living over the past few years when they negotiate their next pay settlement, according to the head of their union. Mick Whelan, general secretary of the Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen (Aslef), told the i Paper any proposed rise [...]
Can you match the quote to the MP who said it in 2024? December 30, 2024 From election campaigning, to Labour’s first months in office, 2024 has been chock-full of memorable political moments. And for our politicians, the past 12 months have seen some memorable quotes enter the record books too. Take a look back at our 2024 quotes quiz and test your political memory.
Southeastern boss: Success is not about public or private ownership December 18, 2024 City AM chats with Southeastern Railway's chief Steve White on Covid-19, Labour's reforms and his plans to bring down costs.