Chancellor lining up billions in spending cuts as fiscal headroom wiped out March 5, 2025 The Chancellor Rachel Reeves is preparing to announce “major measures” including substantial spending cuts to a number of government departments – including welfare – in the Spring Statement. According to BBC News, sources said that “the world has changed” since the Budget, and that £9.9bn in fiscal headroom projected by the Office for Budget Responsibility [...]
Net Zero: weak economic growth, high energy prices and stagnant productivity? March 5, 2025 How many times have we heard the argument that there is no trade-off between pursuing Net Zero and economic growth? The argument lies at the heat of the country’s economic, climate and environmental policy debate. The energy secretary, Ed Miliband, repeats the mantra at every opportunity – “clean energy and Net Zero equals good jobs [...]
Canada and Mexico tariffs: No10 stresses ‘balanced’ trade relationship with US March 4, 2025 The UK has a “strong, fair, balanced and reciprocal trading relationship” with the United States, No10 has stressed, as US tariffs came into force against Canada and Mexico. President Trump’s tariffs on goods from Canada and Mexico took effect on Tuesday, with global markets put on edge and retaliations planned by the two countries – [...]
Tory MP warns UK should ‘consider possibility Trump is a Russian asset’ March 4, 2025 A Conservative MP has warned the UK should “consider the possibility that President Trump is a Russian asset”. Graham Stuart, a former Foreign Office minister, posted the remark on X, formerly Twitter, after the US President halted military aid to Ukraine. Overnight, the White House suspended delivery of ammunition and other equipment to Kyiv after [...]
A win on the world stage masks mounting trouble at home March 4, 2025 Keir Starmer has won plaudits for his decision to increase defence spending (albeit by less than the amount he’s given Ed Miliband to run a pretend energy company) and voters appear to be firmly behind the PM’s decision to fund this modest splurge by raiding the international development budget. The latest City AM Freshwater Strategy [...]
Government urged to back manufacturers’ growth ambitions March 4, 2025 The Government has been urged to back small and medium-sized (SME) manufacturers’ growth ambitions after fresh data showed it could give the economy an £83bn boost. Make UK and Citivas’ new report proposes that if SME manufacturers hit their targets the UK’s manufacturing sector would boom to 7th in the world. It currently stands at [...]
Starmer’s defence policy is popular, but voters still don’t rate him March 4, 2025 There are decades where nothing happens, and there are weeks where decades happen. This quote — often attributed to history’s other murderous Vladimir, Soviet leader Lenin — could not describe the last week more aptly. The heart-sinking scene of Donald Trump and JD Vance locked in a tense, antagonistic exchange with Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the [...]
Ban on new leasehold flats ‘doesn’t go far enough’ March 3, 2025 The government’s newly released whitepaper promises to ban the sale of new leasehold flats, but campaigners say the policy will not provide enough relief for current leaseholders. Labour said the plans mark the start of commonhold, rather than leasehold, being the “default tenure” in the UK. “These reforms mark the beginning of the end for [...]
Exclusive: Labour overtake Tories as most trusted on defence, poll finds March 3, 2025 Labour has overtaken the Conservatives as the party most trusted to manage the UK’s defence and national security – and Brits overwhelmingly back the plan to fund an increase in defence spending by raiding the international development budget. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour Party was chosen by 27 per cent of respondents compared to [...]
Small businesses forced to raise prices ahead of national insurance jump March 3, 2025 The price of small businesses’ goods and services is set to be the latest victim of Rachel Reeves’ national insurance hike, a new survey has revealed. More than four-in-ten of the UK’s small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) have said the government’s increase in National Insurance Contributions (NIC) for employers will negatively impact them. Nearly a [...]