Voters reject Reeves’ plans for state power on pension investments June 10, 2025 A majority of British voters oppose the government having powers to dictate pension fund investments, fresh polling has revealed, in a blow to Rachel Reeves’ attempts to use pension pot funds to boost growth. Three in five voters disagree with government influence over pension fund investments, according to a City AM and Freshwater Strategies poll [...]
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 [...]
UK GDP growth expected to slide after Awful April June 10, 2025 The UK economy is expected to have contracted in April as the double whammy of tax hikes and higher energy prices help reverse the 0.7 per cent growth gains seen in the first three months of the year. A Bloomberg poll of economists said City analysts are pencilling in a 0.1 per cent reduction to [...]
Bargain basement Britain: Tech takeovers continue with three billion-pound swoops in a day June 9, 2025 The frenzy of UK tech takeovers showed no signs of slowing down on Monday after three separate billion-pound M&A moves were made within hours of each other as US tech giants continued their hunt for British bargains. First to announce a move on Monday was London-listed semiconductor firm Alphawave, which confirmed it had reached an [...]
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 [...]
London ‘left out’ of Reeves’ spending review June 9, 2025 London will find itself low on the chancellor’s agenda in the upcoming spending review, reports suggest. London Mayor Sadiq Khan has been lobbying for extending the DLR to Thamesmead, and the Bakerloo line to Lewisham. However, getting the requisite funding to grow the transport system is looking unlikely. Bringing the Bakerloo line further south is anticipated [...]
What Invest 2035 will mean for UK professional services June 9, 2025 When the UK government announces its Invest 2035 on Wednesday, law and professional services will be a key component of its 10-year growth plan
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.
Brits sound alarm on branch closures as Lloyds and Natwest shutter sites June 9, 2025 Over half of Brits struggle to speak to a real person when they need support, fresh research shows, underscoring the challenge facing banking customers as more top lenders shutter their branches. Research from credit information service CRIF showed six in ten consumers were unable to get the support required due to bank branch closures. This [...]