Reform is rising rapidly, but voter frustration can only carry Farage so far May 13, 2025 Reform UK is surging ahead of Labour, but voter frustration can only carry Farage so far, writes Matthew Lesh.
Immigration reforms won’t solve labour shortages, businesses warn May 13, 2025 Government plans to draw back immigration levels and tighten criteria for visas will put efforts to fill labour shortages at risk, with leading industry groups urging Keir Starmer to fast-track apprenticeship reforms. The immigration white paper, which was published on Monday, set out plans to end specific care worker visas, strengthen the skills criteria needed [...]
Employment levels slump as Reeves’ taxes bite May 13, 2025 Employment levels deteriorated in March, official data has suggested, in signs that Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ £20bn tax raid on employers has squeezed firms’ profits. Figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed that the number of payrolled employees fell by 53,000 over the first three months of the year. The early estimate of [...]
Starmer’s just the latest to be shaped by UK’s immigration debate May 13, 2025 Immigration has shaped UK politics for the past 20 years, often in ways that surprised at the time but which appear in hindsight to make perfect sense. David Cameron’s 2010 pledge to reduce net migration to the tens of thousands set the Tory party on a collision course first with Brexit and then the subsequent [...]
Reform UK tops latest City AM poll as Nigel Farage’s approval ratings climb May 13, 2025 Nigel Farage’s approval ratings have climbed since his party’s success in the local elections, while Reform UK has surged ahead of Labour to top the latest Freshwater Strategy/City AM poll of UK voters. Since last month’s survey, Keir Starmer’s net approval rating has seen a modest improvement from -39 to -36 while Tory leader Kemi [...]
Immigration reforms don’t go far enough May 13, 2025 The UK government’s immigration reforms take a step toward prioritising high-skilled migrants but fall short in scale, clarity, and immediate impact, says Iain Mansfield The government’s proposals to prioritise highly skilled immigration are welcome – the only question is whether they go far enough. Since the pandemic, the profile of immigration patterns has shifted sharply [...]
Scottish Widows abandons Mansion House pension funds agreement May 13, 2025 One of the UK’s largest pension funds has ditched a key agreement seen as crucial to Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ push to drive growth. Scottish Widows has not signed up to the second iteration of the Mansion House Compact, despite having thrown its weight behind an earlier version of the plans. The original pact saw 11 [...]
Starmer promises to reduce migration – can he keep his word? May 12, 2025 When the prime minister took to the podium at a Downing Street press briefing this morning, he insisted that “people who like politics will try and make this all about politics.” But the PM’s speech on immigration was anything but apolitical – and he delivered it in the shadow of Nigel Farage’s recent electoral success. [...]
UK to increase ‘very high talent’ immigration in new plans May 12, 2025 The number of people arriving on “very high talent routes” will be increased despite efforts to slash immigration levels. The proposals are set out in a section titled ‘global talent’ in Labour’s immigration white paper, which was published on Monday morning and largely focussed on plans to cut net migration from a peak of over [...]
UK living standards have worsened since Labour took power, voters say May 12, 2025 Nearly half of UK voters believe that living standards have deteriorated over the last 12 months, a new poll has suggested. The Labour government is approaching a full year in office in a matter of weeks after an electoral campaign in which it promised to boost people’s personal finances. But a new poll by Freshwater [...]