‘No doubt’ of inheritance tax reform as government books a record haul from the levy September 20, 2024 New figures from HMRC showed inheritance tax receipts hit £3.5bn between April and August, £300m higher than the same period last year.
Use Budget to urgently review UK’s tax system, accountants urge Reeves September 20, 2024 Rachel Reeves should use the Budget next month to urgently review the UK’s tax system, including business rates and VAT, a chartered accountants group has urged. The Chancellor has been called on to set out the government’s plans to reform business rates, VAT and employment status by the end of the year in the fiscal [...]
Government borrowing jumps as threat of tax hikes grows September 20, 2024 The figures come just over a month before Rachel Reeves delivers her first Budget as Chancellor.
Consumer confidence sinks as Brits ‘nervously await’ Budget September 20, 2024 Key future indicators of consumer confidence all sharply fell in September as Brits nervously awaited policy announcements in the Autumn Budget, according to fresh data. GfK’s long-running consumer confidence index fell sharply to -20 in September overall, with all measures – including personal finances, economy and purchase intentions – down month-on-month. “Headline consumer confidence has… [...]
Hawkish Bank of England? Don’t be so sure. September 19, 2024 "The economy has been evolving broadly as we expected," Bailey said. "If that continues, we should be able to reduce rates gradually over time".
Replace the NHS with Social Health Insurance says think tank September 19, 2024 The IEA has called for a radical transformation of the NHS, proposing it be replaced with a Social Health Insurance system to improve healthcare outcomes in the UK
FTSE 100 remains in the green after Bank of England holds rates September 19, 2024 Traders had been concerned that the Fed had waited too long to cut interest rates, causing unnecessary damage to the US economy.
Starmer urged to build more homes in big cities and forge closer ties with EU to boost growth September 19, 2024 A report from the OBR last week made clear the potential fiscal benefits of generating economic growth.
Jeremy Hunt backs calls to abolish NHS England September 19, 2024 Former health secretary Jeremy Hunt has backed calls to abolish NHS England amid a suite of reforms to how the service is managed. A new report from think tank Policy Exchange has argued for overhaul of NHS management structures, training and incentives to improve the system’s performance and productivity – as opposed to focusing on [...]
UK signs trade pact with Thailand in bid to boost exports September 18, 2024 The UK has signed an enhanced trade pact with Thailand in an effort to boost British exports and drive investment. Trade minister Douglas Alexander inked the enhanced trade partnership (ETP) agreement with Thai commerce minister Pichai Naripthaphan in Bangkok this morning (Wednesday). It came during the Blair-era minister’s first visit to Asia after being re-elected [...]