The tax effect: Reeves borrowed less than OBR forecast April 23, 2026 Chancellor Rachel Reeves oversaw lower government borrowing than the Office for Budget Responsibility forecast in the financial year 2024 to 2025, it has been revealed, pointing to the effect sweeping tax hikes have had in narrowing the deficit. The Office for National Statistics has shown that government borrowing over the last financial year was £132bn [...]
Back to the 1970s: Brits know the damage being done to our economy April 23, 2026 By late 1978 Britain was in the grip of what became known as the Winter of Discontent. Waves of strike action caused huge economic and social disruption as rubbish piled up on the streets and bodies went unburied. It was a crisis for the Labour government and a low point in Britain’s recent history. It [...]
Voters have not understood the reality of a zero growth economy April 23, 2026 Since 2019, UK national income per head has grown by just 0.1 per cent a year on average. In other words, essentially zero growth. It means that the resources available to the economy, whether for private or public use, do not change, says Paul Ormerod Does life imitate art? Evelyn Waugh’s comic masterpiece Vile Bodies, [...]
Government launches Britain’s largest ever retail investing campaign April 23, 2026 The government has unveiled its industry-backed push to encourage households to plough their savings into the stock market, in what is set to be the largest retail investing campaign of its kind in Britain’s history. Starring a red squirrel called ‘Savvy’, the Invest for the Future campaign will seek to “drive a step change in [...]
UK workers suffer bigger tax hikes than any leading economy after Reeves’ raid April 22, 2026 Taxes on wages in the UK rose at a faster pace than any country tracked by the OECD as Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ measures have squeezed people’s incomes. A new report by the OECD – the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development – has found that taxes in the UK for single workers jumped higher than [...]
Proposed consumer lawsuit regime may expose businesses to mass litigation April 22, 2026 The UK government’s proposal for a class-action scheme that allows consumers to collectively sue businesses could wreak havoc if greenlit, as businesses could face ‘increased litigation risk’. The Law Commission, sponsored by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), proposed project, expected to commence in Autumn 2026, will identify the benefits and risks of introducing a more [...]
Pension ping pong: Now government backtracks on mandation powers April 22, 2026 The government has been forced to water down controversial mandation powers in the Pension Schemes Bill after prolonged uproar from the pensions industry and opposition MPs and peers. Pensions minister Torsten Bell has tried to push through the bill with a clause that gives ministers the power to force funds to invest in UK infrastructure [...]
Economic optimism slumps to lowest level since records began April 22, 2026 Brits’ optimism in the state of the UK economy has fallen to the lowest level since records began in a fresh blow to Rachel Reeves, with the majority expecting the situation to get even worse. That’s according to new data from the latest Ipsos Economic Optimism Index (EOI), published the same day that the rate [...]
Shoe Zone shares plummet as retailer kicks out at budget tax raids April 22, 2026 Shoe Zone shares plummeted after the retailer hit out at Rachel Reeves’ budgets for stifling consumer confidence, saying the chancellor’s policy and the Iran war will kick it into a loss this year. The firm’s share price slumped by more than 32 per cent on Wednesday’s market open, leaving the stock down more than 48 [...]
Aberdeen leans on Interactive Investor as assets under management plunge April 22, 2026 Asset manager Aberdeen reported a drop in assets under management and advice in the first financial quarter, after the performance of Interactive Investor failed to combat outflows and market volatility. Assets under management and advice (AUMA) slipped from £556bn to £547.7bn, amid weaker markets, the disposal of its financial planning business and net outflows of [...]