Budget 2025: What exactly is happening with business rates? November 26, 2025 Long-awaited changes to business rates were finally announced in the Budget, with a lower rate for small companies to be paid for by a higher levy for large firms. Retailers have been railing against for business rates for years, with concerns that the tax creates an unfair playing field between high street and online firms, which [...]
Autumn Budget: Don’t let OBR gaffe mask Labour’s own mistakes November 26, 2025 The OBR's mistake was spectacular but accidental. The same can't be said for Labour, whose Budget missteps will do nothing to shift the economy.
Natwest and Lloyds shares soar after escaping Budget tax raid November 26, 2025 Britain’s banking giants have managed to escape a tax raid in the Labour government’s second Autumn Budget. UK lenders have been in the hot seat on the road to 26 November, with Chancellor Rachel Reeves facing lobbying calls across the aisle. But as Rachel Reeves made a £26bn cash grab, which included bookies, landlords and [...]
Autumn Budget: Reeves splurges £12bn on welfare as two-child benefit cap ditched November 26, 2025 The UK’s fiscal watchdog has forecast welfare spending to soar over the next few years after the Labour government ditched plans to reform the welfare state. The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), which accidentally published its report before the Budget, has said welfare spending will rise by £12bn in the fiscal year 2029-30, when compared [...]
Autumn Budget: Cash ISA tax free allowance slashed to £12,000 November 26, 2025 In a major policy shakeup, Chancellor Rachel Reeves has confirmed a slash to the cash ISA ceiling but over 65s will retain the full allowance. After weeks of speculation, Reeves confirmed the ceiling will be cut from £20,000 to £12,000 as of April 2027, as part of her bid to stop people from hoarding cash [...]
City readies up for Labour’s borrowing spree November 26, 2025 Fixed income investors are readying for the Debt Management Office (DMO) to boost its gilt issuance for the current financial year, otherwise the level of UK government debt sold to traders, as the Labour government ploughs ahead with its borrowing spree. The DMO, an independent government body that oversees the sale of UK government bonds, [...]
Whatever Reeves announces today, Britain is still paying for lockdown November 26, 2025 The Labour Party were great enthusiasts for lockdown, demanding longer and harsher restrictions. The costs of this folly have now caught up with them as the Budget today will demonstrate, says Paul Ormerod Regardless of the precise measures brought in by the Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, in the Budget to be announced today, a fearful spectre [...]
‘Fiscal rules’ have made Budgets a farce November 26, 2025 Chancellors increasingly make policy not on economic grounds, but to satisfy the letter of their own self-imposed fiscal rules, writes Ayushma Maharjan.
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 [...]
Ex-OBR chiefs: Reeves was warned about productivity downgrade November 25, 2025 Chancellor Rachel Reeves was warned about costly productivity downgrades and should have left a bigger fiscal headroom at the Spring Statement, former Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) officials have said. Speaking to City AM, a number of leading economists raised questions around Reeves’ statements suggesting an OBR review of productivity trend forecasts has forced her [...]