Government borrows less than official predictions in August thanks to rising tax receipts September 21, 2023 The government borrowed £11.6bn in August, the fourth highest August borrowing figures on record but still lower than official forecasts from the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR). According to figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), higher central government spending meant borrowing was £3.5bn higher than August last year. The only time the government [...]
Jeremy Hunt: No tax cuts on the cards before next general election September 11, 2023 Jeremy Hunt has hinted that tax cuts are unlikely to be on offer before the next general election after warning that inflation had proved “stickier than was forecast”. The Chancellor told Bloomberg that he did not expect to have more fiscal headroom at the Autumn Statement — compared with the spring Budget — and “debt [...]
Rachel Reeves preferred to Jeremy Hunt for Chancellor by voters, poll finds September 6, 2023 Pollsters found 21 per cent of the public opted for Reeves, versus just 14 per cent for the former health secretary.
Darren Jones: Keir Starmer moves rising star to Labour’s shadow treasury team September 4, 2023 Labour MP Darren Jones has been appointed shadow chief secretary to the treasury, in Sir Keir Starmer’s reshuffle of his top team. Jones made headlines and viral TikToks as he clashed with Royal Mail, Amazon and P&O bosses in his role as business and trade select committee (BTC) chairman. He will now serve alongside shadow [...]
Claire Coutinho replaces Grant Shapps as energy secretary August 31, 2023 Claire Coutinho has been appointed energy secretary in a promotion to a top cabinet role, amid a mini-reshuffle of the Prime Minister’s core team. It follows Grant Shapps moving over to the Ministry of Defence (MoD) after defence secretary Ben Wallace resigned from cabinet ahead of stepping down as an MP at the next general [...]
Calls to cut taxes show ‘questionable judgement’, economists warn August 23, 2023 Economists have warned that calls from Conservative MPs for Chancellor Jeremy Hunt to cut taxes after improved borrowing data emerged show “questionable judgement”. Three backbench Conservatives piled the pressure on, according to the Financial Times, with calls for “personal tax reductions” to “stimulate the economy”. The pleas came after figures from the Office for National [...]
Financial watchdog to ask MPs about debanking experiences August 15, 2023 British politicians are to be asked to reveal whether they have encountered problems or faced being “debanked”, as part of an inquiry by the UK’s financial watchdog. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) said it is looking into the rules surrounding politically exposed persons (PEPs), which includes MPs. The regime was thrust into the spotlight after [...]
Taxpayers shell out record amount on government spending August 15, 2023 British taxpayers spent a record amount this year funding government spending, a top think tank has calculated. Workers have spent more than 60 per cent of 2023 with their incomes going towards paying off the government’s spending and borrowing, according to the Adam Smith Institute (ASI). Today, August 15, marks, what it has dubbed as [...]
Poor tax scrutiny has enabled abuse and fraud, MPs warn July 26, 2023 Poor scrutiny of the “complex” tax system has led to relief abuse and even fraud, an influential finance committee of MPs have warned. The Treasury Committee is calling for a systematic review into the cost of over a thousand forms of tax relief which they say are “complex, un-costed and exploited” in a new report. [...]
Monarchy’s funding recalculated after boost to Crown Estate’s revenue from wind farm deals July 20, 2023 The Sovereign Grant – which is used to fund the monarchy’s official duties – will make up just 12 per cent of the Crown Estate’s net profits next year, down from 25 per cent, the Treasury has announced. The change has been introduced following a significant boost in the Crown Estate’s profits from offshore wind [...]