Bargain Britain: UK firms under siege by foreign takeovers June 12, 2025 The London Stock Exchange has suffered a bruising week as private equity firms and foreign giants continue to snap up British bargains. Markets were hit with a double blow on Wednesday after Canadian consultancy giant acquired engineering firm Ricardo and KKR returned with a final bid for GP Landlord Assura. Assura has recommended a cash [...]
Brits to spend half a year waiting for Tax Freedom Day after Labour tax hikes June 12, 2025 Tax Freedom Day is set to be on the latest ever date within a matter of years, fresh research has revealed, with Chancellor Rachel Reeves showing no signs of cutting taxes in the near future, given inflated spending. Reeves unveiled billions more cash to be injected into several departments at yesterday’s Spending Review while funding [...]
Economists warn Rachel Reeves could be forced to make ‘£20bn tax grab’ June 11, 2025 Top economists have warned Brits to brace for another wave of painful tax hikes in the autumn after Rachel Reeves unveiled the government’s £190bn spending splurge. After unveiling her Spending Review, which laid out extra spending on the NHS, defence, housing and nuclear energy, the Chancellor told MPs she was committed to ensuring public finances [...]
Fresh blow for Rachel Reeves as voters scorn growth plans June 10, 2025 A dwindling number of Brits have confidence that the government can deliver on its plans for economic growth, fresh polling has found, laying bare the scale of Rachel Reeves’ challenge to restore voter trust as she prepares to unveil the Spending Review on Wednesday. Just 22 per cent of Brits have some confidence in the [...]
Reeves’ central mission is in tatters June 10, 2025 The Chancellor is the least popular person in British politics and this week’s Spending Review is unlikely to turn things around for Rachel Reeves, says Matthew Lesh This month’s City AM / Freshwater Strategy Poll lays bare the Chancellor’s precarious position ahead of this week’s spending review. Rachel Reeves is personally the least popular figure in British [...]
Winter fuel U-turn could lead to ‘unfair’ and ‘complex’ tax system June 9, 2025 Treasury calculations on savings made from a means-tested winter fuel payment for nine million pensioners may be significantly reduced due to a “new complexity in the tax system”, an economics think tank has warned. The government has claimed that £1.25bn budgeting for winter fuel payments represents a cost reduction of up to £450m compared to [...]
Labour to give HMRC £500m for AI boost June 9, 2025 The British tax agency, HMRC, is set to receive £500m in funding, which will see the introduction of an AI tool to assist the public with enquiries
Voters fear Reeves tax U-turn after Spending Review splash out June 9, 2025 UK voters are worried Chancellor Rachel Reeves will betray Labour manifesto pledges not to hike income tax, a new poll has suggested, as the government looks set to ramp up investment at Wednesday’s spending review. Sir Keir Starmer has declared that the government cannot “tax [its] way to growth” while ministers have said the spending [...]
Winter fuel payments to return for 9m pensioners in £1.3bn Labour u-turn June 9, 2025 The winter fuel payment will be handed out to 9m pensioners whose income falls below £35,000 a year, the Treasury has revealed, in a £1.25bn blow to Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ chances of keeping her £9.9bn headroom intact.
Reeves mulls taxpayer-funded subsidy to cut manufacturers’ energy costs June 8, 2025 Rachel Reeves is looking at plans for a £1bn taxpayer-funded annual subsidy to bring down the energy costs for manufacturers after warnings the UK faced “rapid deindustrialisation” without intervention. The Chancellor is facing mounting pressure to lower energy costs for industry with fears high prices are holding back investment opportunities and stifling the country’s competitiveness. [...]