Young people could lose benefits if they refuse to work, says pension minister Politics Young people on benefits will be offered fresh job opportunities in sectors including construction and hospitality as part of the government’s bid to tackle rising youth unemployment, with those who refuse to engage at risk of losing their benefits. The government will fund 350,000 training and work experience placements, as well as guarantee 55,000 jobs [...]
The best sport to watch live and solving your Christmas present dilemma Sport Business “What’s the best sport you’ve ever seen, Ed?” The question from a young friend gave me pause. Not the best sporting event I’ve ever seen. That might not be easy, but some parameters immediately spring to mind to help refine my choice. No: the best sport, period. I’ve seen a fair few, after all. Got [...]
The Leaky War: How Rachel Reeves and the OBR came to blows Economics Between 5:16am and 11:30am on the day of the Budget, as Rachel Reeves was putting the finishing touches to her House of Commons speech, 7 audacious internet users made 44 attempts to break into the servers of Britain’s fiscal watchdog to get an early glimpse of her plans. An hour before Reeves stood up in [...]
OBR chair Richard Hughes resigns after leak ‘inflicted heavy damage’ on watchdog December 1, 2025 The chair of the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) Richard Hughes has resigned after a report provided a damning assessment of management at the top of the fiscal watchdog after it leaked its fiscal report before the Budget. Hughes, who has faced pressure from the government since the leak, said he was taking full responsibility [...]
Rachel Reeves’ benefit handouts are unchristian, Badenoch says November 28, 2025 Kemi Badenoch has argued that Rachel Reeves’ welfare splurge in the Autumn Budget is inconsistent with Christian values, as she blasted the Labour government for raising taxes to fund increased spending. The Chancellor hiked taxes by £26bn on Wednesday to fund a massive injection of cash into welfare benefits, including the controversial decision to lift [...]
London house prices record annual fall for first time in 18 months November 28, 2025 Budget uncertainty and a glut of supply caused house prices in London and the south to record an annual for the first time since last spring, according to new data. London house prices fell 0.1 per cent year on year, while prices in the south east and the south west fell by 0.1 per cent [...]
Stokes, McCullum, ECB: Who’s to blame for England’s latest Ashes failings? November 27, 2025 Assessing true accountability for England’s Ashes collapse requires tracing failure back through the chain, argues Ed Warner. “Still seething!” The WhatsApp from a prominent cricket podcaster arrived a full 48 hours after England’s capitulation in the opening Ashes Test. Did I want to provide him with a sound-bite on what appeared more than just a [...]
UK remains in ‘weak fiscal position’ after Budget November 27, 2025 The UK remains in a weak fiscal position after Wednesday’s Budget despite the Chancellor launching an historic fiscal consolidation in an attempt to shore up the public finances and avoid another tax raising budget, several top economists have warned. Rachel Reeves chose to hike taxes by £26bn via a vast combination of sector-specific levies, pension [...]
Budget 2025: Rachel Reeves announces £26bn tax raid November 26, 2025 Chancellor Rachel Reeves has announced an avalanche of tax rises on the wealthy and on working people, adding up to £26bn to fund extra spending over the next five years, as she vowed to make the country more “secure”. Her biggest announcement included freezing income tax and national insurance thresholds until 2031 to raise £11bn [...]
‘Spend now, pay later’ – Reeves drags a million more Brits into higher rate tax November 26, 2025 Nearly a million more people will be dragged into paying the higher rate of income tax as Rachel Reeves took the UK’s tax burden to an all-time high. In a Budget that aims to raise some £26bn in extra government revenue by the end of parliament, Reeves extended the income tax thresholds freeze, which economists [...]