Knife edge: Hospitality calls on government to serve up change November 19, 2025 Industry insiders – from chefs to independent brands – are calling on the Chancellor to provide real support in next week’s Budget, writes Carys Sharkey “I’d rate it one out of 10. Frankly, it’s been negligible”. Ask any chef across the country how they would rate this government’s support for the hospitality sector and you’ll [...]
UK spinout economy could be Reeves’ next growth lever November 19, 2025 As Chancellor Rachel Reeves prepares to deliver her Autumn Budget, discussions of economic growth often centre on investment and fiscal levers. However, an arguably equally powerful driver of economic growth operates within the nation’s universities. Spinout ventures are turning ideas into viable businesses, attracting investment, generating high-skilled jobs and developing technologies with global reach. In [...]
Inflation stays high in pre-Budget warning to Reeves November 19, 2025 Inflation hit 3.6 per cent in the year to October, it has been revealed, in the last set of prices data Chancellor Rachel Reeves will see before a crucial Budget focused on curbing the cost of living. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said inflation cooled slightly from last month’s figure of 3.8 per cent, [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Inflation falls to 3.6 per cent, WH Smith CEO quits November 19, 2025 Good morning and welcome back to the City AM liveblog. Global markets downturn continued on Tuesday, with Europe left swimming in the red. The FTSE 100 closed the day down 1.27 per cent at 9,552 as the boss of Google gave the latest warning on the soaring valuation of tech stocks. Sundar Pichai, the head [...]
My advice for Rachel Reeves? Learn how to spin a yarn November 19, 2025 Economic history shows us the importance of a narrative. If Rachel Reeves wants to help the economy, she needs to learn how to tell a story.
Markets will determine whether Reeves has any credibility left November 19, 2025 It’s a regrettable reality that a politician – or an entire government – can limp on for months or even years after losing credibility in the eyes of voters. In contrast, when markets think the credibility is gone the consequences can be much more immediate. Just ask Liz Truss. One week from today, the Chancellor’s [...]
Recession fears as insolvencies creep up amid construction woes November 18, 2025 The number of insolvencies crept up in October, official data has shown, amid further pressures on the construction industry and worries that Budget measures may sound the death knell for struggling companies. Data released by the Insolvency Service showed a 1.7 per cent month-on-month rise in insolvencies. On a year-on-year basis, official numbers show insolvencies [...]
Reeves’ Budget tax rumours threaten UK tech November 18, 2025 The UK’s tech sector is facing a critical moment ahead of the Autumn Budget. Rumoured caps on salary sacrifice pensions, alongside potential property and wealth taxes, threaten to hit the very talent and investment needed to drive growth in the sector. At the same time, the country faces a widening tech skills gap, leaving businesses [...]
Reform and Tories battle over the Budget with spending cuts calls November 18, 2025 Opposition parties Reform UK and the Conservatives are intensifying pressure on Labour ahead of the Budget with calls for dramatic spending cuts to fix public finances. In separate press conferences on Tuesday, leaders Nigel Farage and Kemi Badenoch called for deep cuts to government expenditure to balance the books. Their renewed attacks on the government [...]
Rachel Reeves’s caution could prove as damaging as Liz Truss’s recklessness November 18, 2025 Reeves is trying her best to avoid any comparisons to Truss's infamous mini-budget, but her excessive caution could prove just as damaging.