Reeves plans stamp duty holiday in Budget to boost London listings November 25, 2025 Chancellor Rachel Reeves is expected to announce a stamp duty holiday for new listings on the London Stock Exchange in Wednesday’s Budget as the government ramps up efforts to revive the index. The move will wipe out the 0.5 per cent stamp duty tax investors are forced to pay upon buying shares that are newly [...]
Magic Weekend 2026: Ashes sell-out lures Super League to Hill Dickinson Stadium November 25, 2025 Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium will stage rugby league’s Magic Weekend for the first time next summer following the success of its hosting of an Ashes clash. The Merseyside venue will be the third different venue for the two-day Super League festival in as many seasons, after St James’ Park in Newcastle this year and Elland [...]
Retail confidence falls at its fastest rate since 2008 November 25, 2025 Confidence amongst retailers has dropped at its fastest rate in 17 years as firms become increasingly pessimistic about their fortunes amid high taxes and low spending. Retailers expect demand to remain subdued heading into December, with sales set to fall again – albeit at a somewhat slower pace, according to the CBI’s latest quarterly Distributive [...]
Labour MP warns Budget could force founders out of UK November 25, 2025 A Labour backbencher has joined industry leaders and a left-leaning pressure group in warning that the Budget could kill the UK’s aspirations of building a competitor to Silicon Valley and force more firms to look for investment outside of the country. In an open letter to Rachel Reeves, Sarah Edwards, a Labour MP who sits [...]
David Lammy proposing to scrap some jury trials to tackle backlog November 25, 2025 As the criminal justice system continues to crumble, the justice secretary David Lammy is reportedly proposing a major shake-up that would scrap some jury trials. Currently, all criminal trials are heard in front of a jury that decides on the accused’s fate; however, Lammy’s proposal will see jury trials only for murder, rape or manslaughter [...]
Budget whiplash: How bank shares were hit by the Treasury’s ‘hokey cokey’ leaking November 25, 2025 Last week the House of Commons speaker reprimanded the Treasury for what he called a “hokey cokey” Budget. “Can I just say it isn’t normal for a Budget to be put in the press,” Sir Lindsay Hoyle said in his dressing down of ministers. “One minute it’s in, next minute it’s out.” Few sectors have [...]
England rugby chiefs axe bonus scheme that led to coup attempt on CEO Sweeney November 25, 2025 The Rugby Football Union (RFU) has scrapped the controversial long-term incentive plan (LTIP) that led to a major rebellion against CEO Bill Sweeney earlier this year. Sweeney faced and survived a vote of no confidence in February after it emerged that he had been paid £1.1m in 2023-24 despite the RFU making a loss of [...]
Reeves urged to back AI in Autumn Budget to drive growth November 25, 2025 Chancellor Rachel Reeves is under pressure to deliver a decisive push for AI in tomorrow’s highly anticipated Autumn Budget, with industry leaders calling for billions in investment, thousands of jobs, and a clear roadmap for UK growth. The government has already attracted more than £78bn of private investment in AI, with a further £24.25bn committed [...]
The UK stands on a precipice – this Budget must show government is on the side of business November 25, 2025 The message from British business could hardly be starker: we need stability, simplicity and long-term thinking – not another round of stop-start policymaking, says Alan Vallance The UK stands on a precipice. After years of sluggish growth and wavering confidence, businesses are clear: small tweaks and short-term gestures from government won’t be enough to turn [...]
BCC boss: Enough taxes. The Budget must tell a positive story November 25, 2025 Last autumn, the British Chambers of Commerce and its members were left shell-shocked when a party that promised to be the most ‘pro-business in history’ used its maiden Budget to deliver a succession of hammer blows to the private sector. Having shouldered the burden last year, boss Shevaun Haviland wants this year’s instalment to paint [...]