Rishi Sunak has shown his true colours by hiding stealth tax rises in the detail March 24, 2022 Don’t be fooled, Rishi Sunak is a fiscal conservative first, and a low-tax conservative second. This was a tax-cutting spring statement, but as the Office Budget Responsibility (OBR) pointed out, on balance Sunak has been a tax-hiking Chancellor. In fact, the net cut to personal taxes introduced at the Spring Statement offsets “just over a [...]
Cost of living squeeze already biting UK economy as experts warn worst is still to come March 24, 2022 The damage the cost of living squeeze is inflicting on UK households is already starting to weigh on the economy as top forecasters warn the worst effects of spiralling living standards are yet to come. A fresh flurry of data released today revealed consumers are slashing spending to alleviate pressure on their finances caused by [...]
Boris Johnson calls for wind and nuclear ramp up ahead of energy strategy announcement March 24, 2022 Prime Minister Boris Johnson has revealed the UK's new energy strategy will expand domestic nuclear and offshore wind capacity.
Sunak’s decision to hike national insurance while cutting income tax is ‘indefensible’ March 24, 2022 Top economic forecasters today slammed Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s decision to push ahead with the national insurance tax hike while cutting the basic rate of income tax as “indefensible”. All of the windfall households will receive from lower income tax bills will be offset by fiscal drag and a 1.25 percentage point national insurance uplift and [...]
Growth forecasts and a lack of ambition portend a grim economic future March 24, 2022 For all the pageantry of yesterday’s spring statement, the truth is that just one thing really matters: the drastic, deeply concerning downgrade in the UK’s growth forecasts. There are only so many political sleight of hands that any Chancellor can do to hide the fact that unless the UK finds the secret sauce of sustained [...]
Rishi Sunak admits Brits face ‘challenging and uncertain’ times after Spring Budget March 24, 2022 Chancellor Rishi Sunak has said the country is facing “challenging and uncertain” times after official forecasters predicted the biggest fall in living standards on record. Following his spring statement on Wednesday, the Chancellor insisted the Government was “on the side of hard-working families”. But Labour said that he had done nothing to tackle the cost-of-living [...]
Fresh 30-year high inflation print wobbles London investors March 23, 2022 A fresh 30-year high UK inflation print wobbled London’s top indexes today. The capital’s premier FTSE 100 index dipped 0.22 per cent to 7,460.63 points, while the domestically-focused mid-cap FTSE 250 index, which is more aligned with the health of the UK economy, fell 0.53 per cent to 21,001.62 points. Fresh data released today by [...]
The City View: CEO of WHO Foundation on life-saving healthcare in Ukraine, vaccine equity; and the Spring Statement’s delicate balance March 23, 2022 Today Andy Silvester talks to Anil Soni, CEO of the WHO Foundation. They discuss the efforts being made by the foundation with regards to the Ukraine crisis; how the foundation raises funds; why the interconnectivity of the world means that these funds matter now more than ever; and why everybody wins, even businesses, when they [...]
Office for Budget Responsibility warns household energy bills could double this year March 23, 2022 Energy bills could spike 40 per cent this winter, warned the OBR, placing further pressure on cash-strapped households.
UK households to be saddled with heaviest tax burden since 1940s March 23, 2022 UK households are set to be saddled with the heaviest tax burden since the 1940s even when Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s income tax cut and national insurance tweaks are baked in. Britain’s fiscal watchdog is forecasting the tax burden to hit 36.3 per cent in four years’ time, it said in fresh forecasts published today. The [...]