Labour conference: Reeves and Reynolds to unveil industrial strategy following ‘Budget for investment’ September 23, 2024 Rachel Reeves has announced the government will unveil its long-promised industrial strategy next month, as she vowed to deliver a “Budget for investment”. The Chancellor took an upbeat tone as she stressed that her “optimism for Britain burns brighter than ever”. Ahead of the October 30 Budget, she argued: “Growth is the challenge, and investment [...]
Labour conference: Reeves challenged over consumer ‘fear and foreboding’ September 23, 2024 Rachel Reeves has been challenged over claims the government has “generated a fear and foreboding” among consumers – but insisted she was “optimistic” about the economy. Ahead of her keynote speech to the Labour Party conference in Liverpool today, the Chancellor was challenged on Sky News over last week’s fall in consumer confidence to the [...]
Labour’s public investment quandary September 23, 2024 Many economists think low levels of investment have contributed to the UK's sluggish productivity growth, particularly since the financial crisis.
The UK economy is suffering from long Covid and a short memory September 23, 2024 We may have ditched the testing swabs and face masks, but the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic is still being felt. Quite understandably, we’d rather consign that era to history, but the scale of the costs incurred makes that impossible. The official inquiry is attempting to get to grips with questions of preparedness, decision making [...]
Reeves to strike positive tone in Party Conference speech September 23, 2024 Rachel Reeves is set to promise a Budget that will “rebuild Britain” in a speech at the Labour Party Conference that will claim that the “work of change has only just begun”. In a notably more optimistic tone than Labour has adopted in recent weeks, the Chancellor will vow to deliver a “Britain of opportunity, [...]
Donations a ‘feature of our politics’, Angela Rayner tells BBC amid gifts row September 22, 2024 Donations to MPs are “a feature of our politics”, Angela Rayner has insisted amid a row over Labour politicians accepting gifts and freebies. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer had come in for criticism in the past week over accepting more than £100,000-worth of gifts, including tickets to football matches, concerts and luxury clothes. But he, [...]
IFS: Clumsy capital gains reform could ‘harm government’s growth mission’ September 21, 2024 The influential think tank said the levy was "crying out for reform", but warned that poorly designed measures could do more harm than good.
‘No doubt’ of inheritance tax reform as government books a record haul from the levy September 20, 2024 New figures from HMRC showed inheritance tax receipts hit £3.5bn between April and August, £300m higher than the same period last year.
Use Budget to urgently review UK’s tax system, accountants urge Reeves September 20, 2024 Rachel Reeves should use the Budget next month to urgently review the UK’s tax system, including business rates and VAT, a chartered accountants group has urged. The Chancellor has been called on to set out the government’s plans to reform business rates, VAT and employment status by the end of the year in the fiscal [...]
Government borrowing jumps as threat of tax hikes grows September 20, 2024 The figures come just over a month before Rachel Reeves delivers her first Budget as Chancellor.