Is Kemi Badenoch up for the fight? February 27, 2025 What is Kemi Badenoch for? If you’re now asking yourself “who’s Kemi Badenoch?” then she really is in trouble. In the four months since being elected leader of the Conservative Party, she has attempted to make a virtue out of vagueness. She explains, not unreasonably, that her party has to reflect on what went wrong [...]
Donald Trump announces 25 per cent tariffs on EU imports February 26, 2025 Donald Trump has announced he plans to slap 25 per cent tariffs on imports from the European Union (EU) into the US. The US President slammed the European trading bloc, claiming it was set up to “screw” America, and had “done a good job of it but now I am President”. His comments came as [...]
Heathrow to pay first dividend in five years to new owners February 26, 2025 London Heathrow Airport plans to pay its owners a first dividend in five years after passenger numbers reached record highs in 2024. The West London hub has settled on a payout of £250m over the coming weeks, the first since before the pandemic. Heathrow’s ownership underwent its most significant change in decades in 2024 after [...]
Businesses face ‘powder keg’ of costs as Budget tax hikes loom February 26, 2025 The vast majority of businesses will be forced to change their plans as a result of the government’s tax raid, a new survey shows, which will result in higher prices for consumers and thousands of lost jobs. More than four out of five business leaders (82 per cent) said Labour’s national insurance hike will have [...]
‘We will not give in’: Farmer tax fury is not going away February 26, 2025 Gripping his lectern on stage in Birmingham, Keir Starmer was attempting to win over the ever-sceptical delegates at the National Farmers’ Union congress. The then-leader of the opposition told attendees of the 2023 iteration of the annual jamboree that he understood their pain, and promised to reset government relations with farming were he fortunate enough [...]
Spring could prove to be an economic washout February 26, 2025 A modest burst of warm weather towards the end of last week may have coaxed the snowdrops and bluebells into life but don’t go dusting off the BBQ, as the cold isn’t done with us yet. Meteorologically speaking, Spring kicks in on 1 March but forecasters say the first month of the new season is [...]
Government offered lifeline on declining infrastructure investment February 26, 2025 A new industry group is offering ideas to the government on how to fix miserable infrastructure investment and increase the number of planners. The Purposeful Finance Commission (PFC) has laid out a plan to privately source and administer a £22.5m fund that would aid the Government’s target of hiring 300 additional planners. Rachel Reeves referenced [...]
‘Productivity argument’ against family firm tax breaks, IFS director argues February 25, 2025 There is a “productivity argument” against treating family businesses “generously”, the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) director has argued, when asked about inheritance tax. Economist Paul Johnson addressed the National Farmers Union (NFU) conference in Westminster on Tuesday, which saw environment secretary Steve Reed’s speech interrupted by farming protestors, as well as NFU president Tom [...]
Inheritance tax: Ministers urged to ‘do right thing’ ahead of farming summit February 25, 2025 The government is being urged to “do the right thing” over its plan to bring in inheritance tax for farm businesses worth more than £1m, following months of protests by farmers. Ministers are being encouraged to “reset” their relationship with Britain’s farmers, ahead of the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) conference on Tuesday. President Tom Bradshaw [...]
Getting Brits to invest will take more than tweaking ISAs February 25, 2025 Rachel Reeves is considering reducing the tax-free limit on cash ISAs to encourage people to invest in stock and shares, but she should go even further, says Emma Revell It is one of the most popular and best understood savings tools available for Brits, but there could be a big shake up coming for the [...]