Reeves is in a fiscal trap and spending cuts are the only way out January 14, 2025 Rachel Reeves’ Budget created a vicious circle whereby higher taxes increased borrowing costs, squeezing the public purse and further and tempting the Chancellor into further tax rises to meet fiscal targets. There is another way, says Darwin Friend Rachel Reeves is trapped in a vicious fiscal circle of her own making. Her high-tax budget, billed [...]
UK gilt auction oversubscribed as investors buy through market turmoil January 14, 2025 The auction comes ahead of crucial inflation data tomorrow.
Labour is squandering Britain’s lead on the AI revolution January 14, 2025 The UK is well positioned to lead the coming AI revolution, but the Labour government is doing everything it can to undermine this country’s strength in tech, says Alan Mak The UK is on the cusp of a technological revolution. AI offers a wealth of growth opportunities and Britain can be a world leader in [...]
‘Nothing off the table’: Public spending cuts to be ‘ruthless’, cabinet warned January 13, 2025 Public spending cuts are set to be “ruthless”, the Treasury has reportedly warned cabinet ministers. Departments will have to make “difficult” decisions on their budget priorities, according to an internal letter from No11 about the spending review, the Telegraph reported. While the Prime Minister’s official spokesman confirmed “there’s nothing off the table when it comes [...]
Starmer declines to confirm Reeves will be Chancellor at next election January 13, 2025 Sir Keir Starmer has declined to confirm that Rachel Reeves will be Chancellor at the next general election. The Prime Minister was asked about Reeves’ role following a speech in London on artificial intelligence (AI) and insisted he was “completely confident” in her. However, he declined to guarantee she would still be in post at [...]
We need a government that gets business, not businessmen running government January 13, 2025 The idea that business leaders can transform the way government works didn’t start with Elon musk, but success in politics demands different skills to entrepreneurship, says Eliot Wilson Business feels let down by the current government. Before the general election, Sir Keir Starmer and his shadow chancellor, Rachel Reeves, staged an updated performance of the [...]
Pound sterling suffers as traders pare bets on Fed rate cuts January 13, 2025 The sell-off comes after a bruising week for UK assets last week, with sterling falling over three per cent and gilt yields picking up to the highest levels in decades.
UK CFOs set to cut hiring and slash investment following Budget January 13, 2025 Finance chiefs at UK businesses are focused on cutting costs in the wake of the Budget, with investment and hiring set to suffer as a result. Over half (52 per cent) of CFOs surveyed by Deloitte said cost reduction was a strong priority for their business in the wake of the Chancellor’s tax raid. The [...]
Stakes are high for UK economy ahead of crunch week of data January 13, 2025 The latest inflation figures, covering December, will be published on Wednesday before GDP figures for November will be released on Thursday.
Half of people with housing costs ‘starting 2025 worried about home or finances’ January 11, 2025 The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) upheld two complaints about the video, one saying it glamorised smoking and another about it not being clearly marked as an “ad”.