Reeves told to scrap ‘jobs tax’ after headline figures questioned March 12, 2025 A fresh row has erupted just weeks before Rachel Reeves‘ national insurance tax hike comes into effect after the Treasury’s headline figures were scrutinized. When announcing her 1.2 per cent hike to employers’ national insurance contributions (NIC) at the Autumn Budget, Reeves said it would raise “£25bn per year by the end of the forecast period.” [...]
Planning bill will ‘avoid bat tunnels’, housing minister claims March 11, 2025 The government hopes its planning reforms will “avoid bat tunnels”, the housing minister has said. It comes as Labour unveiled major changes to the UK’s planning permissions system – as part of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill – with measures to overhaul how developers meet environmental obligations, replacing site-specific schemes with a general fund. Speaking [...]
Interactive Investor CEO: My top three tips for investing March 11, 2025 The boss of Interactive Investor has shared his top three tips for investing in UK and foreign markets ahead of the Spring Statement.
Regulator considers redress scheme in motor finance review March 11, 2025 In a statement this morning, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has outlined its next steps in its motor finance review – including an industry-wide redress scheme if the Supreme Court upholds last year’s Court of Appeal ruling. The UK’s top court is expected to hear the appeal in early April as part of the growing [...]
Labour’s growth agenda? Necessary but not sufficient. March 11, 2025 Ministers will be deeply frustrated at the lack of economic growth, though they ought not to be surprised. Their own missteps have been well covered in this newspaper, and week after week new survey data reveals the extent to which government policies have dampened spirits, reduced hiring and spooked confidence. However, while their opening salvo [...]
Taxes might be going up. Here’s how to cut your tax bill March 10, 2025 Savers are preparing for the possibility of income tax increases, with Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves expected to announce some changes to the tax regime in March. Labour pledged not to increase income tax during its election campaign. However, the Treasury has discussed freezing income tax thresholds and has refused to rule out income tax [...]
Reeves eyeing spending cuts as fiscal walls cave in March 10, 2025 Rachel Reeves is expected to take the chop to spending in her upcoming Spring Statement, as the government’s fiscal headroom disappears. The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) is set to show a depletion in the Chancellor’s headway, according to BNP Paribas economists. This leaves the government with little options beside further tax hikes or spending [...]
The Editor’s Interview: Should the Tories be afraid of Nigel Farage’s Reform UK? March 10, 2025 In this episode, we see top Tory Andrew Griffth MP grilled by City AM Editor Christian May on the threat posed to the Conservatives by Nigel Farage's Reform UK.
Will Rachel Reeves end up being a right-wing Chancellor by accident? March 10, 2025 With poor growth and pressure on defence spending, Rachel Reeves faces having to make welfare cuts the likes of which haven’t been since the days of Nigel Lawson. But unlike Lawson, her spending plans are not being driven by a programme of reform, but by panic, says Eliot Wilson Rachel Reeves cannot have expected it [...]
Government to hit regulators with performance targets to drive innovation March 10, 2025 Regulators will be slapped with new performance targets in an effort to stimulate technological innovation and drive investment in the UK. According to Lord Patrick Vallance, the science minister, the benchmarks will be designed to accelerate innovation. Lord Vallance has suggested that this drive for innovation could result in commercial delivery drones, self-driving vehicles, and [...]