UK cement sector ‘at risk of cracking’ despite industrial strategy June 23, 2025 Production in the UK cement sector is rapidly declining, according to industry leaders, despite government efforts to slash high electricity prices as part of its industrial strategy published on Monday. Prime Minister Keir Starmer appealed to thousands of manufacturers across the country with plans to reduce energy bills by 25 per cent from 2027 after [...]
‘Way too cheap’ – Tax experts question Reform’s £250K non-dom plan June 23, 2025 Reform UK’s new ‘Robin Hood’-style non-dom policy has been given a cool reception by top UK tax experts, who have branded it as “too cheap” and warned it could even cost the UK £34bn in lost tax revenue. Nigel Farage’s party, which currently tops the opinion polls, unveiled plans for a £250,000 flat tax regime [...]
Industrial Strategy: Labour to turn City into ‘most innovative financial centre’ June 23, 2025 Labour has vowed to turn the Square Mile into “the world’s most innovative full-service financial centre” as the government laid out the key pillars of its much-anticipated industrial strategy. The policy document said the government would achieve the milestone by 2035, but was unclear about what the criteria were for hitting it or how it [...]
UK services sector in ‘fragile recovery’ as employment fears linger June 23, 2025 The UK services sector expanded in June, despite tax hikes and a drop in employment across the UK economy, new figures have suggested. The double whammy of President Trump’s tariffs and Chancellor Reeves’ tax increases in April lowered confidence levels among businesses, with official data showing the UK economy contracted by as much as 0.3 [...]
Nigel Farage reveals one-off £250,000 non-dom payment plan June 23, 2025 Nigel Farage has announced a £250,000 one-off “landing fee” for a ‘Britannia Card’ for non-doms to qualify for tax exemptions, in a push to stem the growing exodus of high net worth individuals from the UK. The policy would enable a Robin Hood-style direct payment to the lowest paid – directly to their bank accounts, [...]
Industry electricity costs for 7,000 businesses to be slashed by up to a quarter June 23, 2025 Electricity prices for 7,000 businesses in the UK are to be slashed by up to 25 per cent from 2027 as part of the government’s much-awaited Industrial Strategy. British manufacturers are facing the highest industrial electricity prices in the G7, with costs currently four times higher than those of the US and significantly higher than [...]
Top private school faces job cuts after Reeves’ tax grab June 21, 2025 A prestigious private school has said it may be forced to make job cuts due to the Labour government’s removal of VAT exemption on school fees. Edinburgh-based Fettes College – where former Prime Minister Tony Blair is among alumni – has said the introduction of VAT on school fees contributed to the “difficult” decision to [...]
UK government’s love/hate relationship with consultancy firms June 20, 2025 When it comes to calling in the consultants, the UK government has had leading firms on speed dial over the years. But cuts are on top of Labour's agenda
Alarm bells as retail sales suffer largest fall in 18 months June 20, 2025 UK high streets suffered from post-Easter fatigue among shoppers as official data showed retail sales dropped by 2.7 per cent in May. The Office for National Statistics said a fall in sales in May represented the largest month-on-month drop since December 2023. A Bloomberg poll of economists expected retail sales to drop by 0.5 per [...]
Ministers set to cut industrial energy prices for British manufacturers June 20, 2025 The government plans to slash industrial energy prices for British manufacturers, enabling them to better compete with key European rivals. Ministers will unveil a multibillion pound package of taxpayer-funded support for the UK’s most energy intensive industries, as part of the government’s industrial strategy on Monday, according to reports. Proposals to make energy prices more [...]