Labour’s China ‘audit’ is pointless. We already know Starmer’s stance on Beijing January 4, 2025 Labour has clearly settled on its stance towards Beijing, let's give up the "audit" nonsense, writes Eliot Wilson.
Why we don’t know how much a ‘National Care Service’ could cost UK January 3, 2025 Health secretary Wes Streeting has unveiled the government’s latest move towards reform of the UK’s social care system. Taking the form of an independent commission into the issue, led by Baroness Louise Casey, the review – reporting in 2026 and 2028 – will aim to build “cross-party consensus” for the creation of a new National [...]
Mortgage approvals fall faster than expected in wake of Budget January 3, 2025 65,700 mortgages were approved in November, down from 68,300 in October and comfortably below economists' expectations.
Businesses gloomy about state of economy before Budget tax rises January 3, 2025 Business leaders remain gloomy about the state of the economy entering the New Year, a new survey shows, as they anticipate the impact of the Budget’s tax increases. The Institute of Directors’ economic confidence index, which measures business sentiment about the economy, rose to -61 in December, up from -65 the month before but still [...]
Firms hiring low-wage workers set for tax bill hike, CPS think tank warns January 3, 2025 The cost of employing low-wage workers is set to hit a record high in 2025, according to new analysis. Businesses employing low-wage workers will see their tax bills soar, the Centre for Policy Studies (CPS) has warned, after research found the rise in employer’s national insurance contributions (NICs) led to a 60 per cent tax [...]
Spectre of another Labour tax raid haunts savers January 2, 2025 83 per cent of customers surveyed by the retail investment platform said they were either very concerned or somewhat concerned about tax increases in 2025.
KPMG: UK households plan to splash the cash in 2025 December 31, 2024 The positive picture from households contrasted with a more gloomy view about the state of the economy more broadly.
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.
Relief for Reeves as business outlook brightens for new year December 30, 2024 UK businesses have defied the negative sentiment which has defined the latter part of the year and predicted an upswing in 2025. More UK businesses are expecting a stronger start to 2025 than they did entering 2024, new research from Lloyds Business Barometer has found. Seven in ten UK businesses expect to see their turnover [...]
Small businesses gear up for growth despite Budget pressures December 29, 2024 Small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) are gearing up for expansion in 2025 despite fears about the state of the economy. In a survey of over 2,000 SMEs conducted directly after Labour’s Autumn Budget, 81 per cent said they were confident their business would grow next year, with confidence among those employing more than 50 [...]