Boost ‘growth prospects’ with reset, Reeves to tell EU finance meeting December 8, 2024 Rachel Reeves will argue that a more business-like relationship with the EU can help Britain boost its “growth prospects”, at a meeting with the bloc’s finance ministers. Reeves will on Monday address the European Union’s financial heads in Brussels, becoming the first Chancellor to do so since Brexit, ahead of her next overseas visit to [...]
Newts can’t be ‘more protected than people who need housing’, Rayner says December 8, 2024 Angela Rayner has said the UK should not be in a situation where “newts are more protected than people” who need housing, ahead of a government shake-up of planning. The deputy Prime Minister suggested protecting the country’s wildlife should not always be prioritised over building new homes, after Sir Keir Starmer last week reiterated his [...]
Revolut, Interactive Investor and Abcam: Britain’s venture capital success stories December 6, 2024 This week, Revolut made headlines when it emerged that early investors in the fintech had been offered an opportunity to cash out with returns of up to 400 times their initial investment. The news arrived in the same week venture capital trusts celebrated their 30th anniversary of backing British startups. Revolut used crowdfunding rather than [...]
Keir Starmer: Planning regime ‘suffocating aspirations of working families’ December 6, 2024 Writing in the Times, Starmer said the planning system had become "increasingly ruinous" and was "suffocating the aspirations of working families".
CBI downgrades forecast for UK economy after Budget December 6, 2024 The UK economy is set for slower than expected and “unimpressive” growth in 2025 thanks partly to punitive measures introduced in October’s Budget, a leading business group has predicted. The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) now expects Britain’s economy to grow by just 1.5 per cent next year, it said in its latest economic forecast, [...]
Starmer pledges to deliver ‘higher living standards’ in milestones speech December 5, 2024 Sir Keir Starmer has pledged to deliver “higher living standards” across the UK by the end of this parliament – but did not put a figure on his target. The Prime Minister aimed to flesh out his pre-election promise to kickstart economic growth, as he set out a set of new “milestones” in a major [...]
ISA changes to be government priority in 2025 says AJ Bell boss December 5, 2024 AJ Bell’s boss has said that ISA simplification is expected to be a priority for the government next year. “My understanding is that in 2025 we’ll see some progress on ISA simplification, and we’ll look to engage with government as part of that,” said AJ Bell CEO Michael Summersgill. There had been anticipation of a shakeup in [...]
More big tax rises are ‘inevitable’, ING says December 5, 2024 Rachel Reeves will have to do another “big top-up” of tax rises this parliament, analysts at a major bank have said, despite the Chancellor previously vowing not to. In its outlook for 2025, published today, Dutch lender ING said that Reeves’ controversial October Budget “is likely just the beginning” of several more Budgets characterised by [...]
UK economy to ‘grow twice as fast’ as Europe in 2025 December 5, 2024 The UK economy is set to grow twice as fast as its European counterparts next year thanks to the flurry of spending measures announced in October’s Budget, a top bank has forecast. Britain’s gross domestic product (GDP) will increase by 1.4 per cent next year, analysts at ING said in the bank’s annual economic outlook, [...]
Businesses will ‘lick their wounds’ after Budget, even if growth picks up December 5, 2024 The BCC said the upgrades were driven by "increased levels of government spending" following the Budget.