Kemi Badenoch’s reshuffle has refreshed the Conservative Party Opinion Sacking Mel Stride and promoting new faces like Katie Lam – along with appointing a shadow Chancellor who believes in private enterprise, is a signal of intent, says Oliver Dean For roughly two years, Kemi Badenoch had kept the same old team in place. Mel Stride as shadow Chancellor; Priti Patel as shadow foreign secretary. [...]
‘War on wealth creation’: capital gains tax raid would lose government money, Tories argue Politics A fresh capital gains tax raid on Britain’s wealthiest would ultimately lose the government money, according to new Conservative analysis of Treasury data. Internal government modelling suggests that the top rate of capital gains tax (CGT) is already too high and hiking it further would lead to lower tax receipts. Figures presented to the Labour [...]
Burnham takes on ‘rip-off’ discounts and subscriptions in cost of living push Politics Andy Burnham has vowed to outlaw fake discounts and crack down on stealth subscriptions as he pledges to deliver “breathing room” on the cost of living. The Prime Minister has proposed to ban businesses from advertising “rip-off” discounts and said he will accelerate existing plans to make subscriptions easier to cancel. These two pledges come [...]
Rachel Reeves’ legacy of tinkering with the City is not enough, says Mel Stride July 9, 2026 Sir Mel Stride has branded Rachel Reeves’ legacy in government as mere “tinkering” with City reform as the top Tory predicted her successor will create a “hostile” environment for the banking sector. In an interview with City AM, the shadow Chancellor branded Reeves’ two-years in the Treasury as “managerial incrementalism,” adding it was “not enough”. [...]
Zack Polanski: I have a ‘serious vision’ for UK businesses June 25, 2026 Green Party leader Zack Polanski will tell business leaders at a conference on Thursday that he will deliver “clarity, stability and serious vision” for the UK economy. In what will be his most significant address to bosses since becoming leader, Polanski is expected to recognise that private sector executives “might have some preconceptions” yet he’ll [...]
Badenoch: City’s risk culture should be ‘championed’ to boost UK growth June 16, 2026 Tory leader Kemi Badenoch will pledge that the role of the City of London would be one of her central levers for driving economic growth, whilst suggesting that financial regulators have buckled to pressure from media and political leaders in recent years. In an address to City financiers, Badenoch will argue that the Square Mile [...]
Reform UK tax cut pledge raises doubts May 24, 2026 Reform UK’s tax cut pledge for workers doing overtime hours is facing criticism from economists across the political spectrum amid doubts it would boost productivity. The party said it would scrap income tax above a 40-hour week for workers on less than £75,000, costing around £5bn a year and paid for through cuts to welfare [...]
Conservatives have the right diagnosis, but can they cure Britain’s ailments? May 20, 2026 Mel Stride has set out his vision for the economic future of the UK, Matthew Bowles gives his analysis Westminster has spent much of the past week discussing the emergence of a supposed “Burnham premium” on British borrowing costs – the suggestion being that the mere prospect of Andy Burnham returning to national politics could [...]
Mel Stride: Markets have issued ‘damning verdict’ on Labour May 18, 2026 Shadow chancellor Sir Mel Stride is set to claim that markets have issued the Labour government a “damning verdict” after continual leadership speculation and tax rises, warning that taxpayers will be left on the hook. In a speech at the Centre for Policy Studies, Stride will argue that investors have taken an ill-view of the [...]
Tories pledge to slash tax and red tape in ‘alternative King’s Speech’ May 10, 2026 The Tories have set out their vision for the UK economy, pledging to slash taxes and red tape to “back innovation, entrepreneurship and growth”. Kemi Badenoch’s party has said it would slash welfare spending, scrap business rates for high street business and repeal Labour’s workers’ rights reforms. The Conservatives have published their “alternative King’s Speech,” [...]