Business leaders ramp up pre-Budget lobby efforts amid tax fears October 20, 2025 Business chiefs are ramping up efforts to sway Chancellor Rachel Reeves ahead of this year’s Budget as fears are mounting that fresh tax hikes could squeeze profits at firms up and down the UK. A series of letters written by heads of trade bodies have landed on the Chancellor’s desk over the last week, with [...]
Betfred founder: Tax rises are “biggest threat” to the industry October 19, 2025 Betfred shops could vanish from UK high streets if Chancellor Rachel Reeves carries out a potential tax raid in the November budget, the company’s co-founder and chairman has warned. Fred Done, who founded the business in 1967 with his brother, hailed tax rises as the “biggest threat” to the industry he has seen in his [...]
Net zero targets “are not helping” claims shadow energy secretary October 19, 2025 Shadow energy secretary, Claire Coutinho, has claimed that Labour’s net zero targets” are not helping” the UK’s economy. In an interview with Sky News’ Trevor Phillips, Countinho linked the government’s climate targets to the ongoing cost of living crisis. She said: “We’ve said we would repeal the climate change target, and we actually think the [...]
Spy case suspect was stopped with suitcase full of cash on return from China October 19, 2025 A suspect in the China spy case was carrying a “suitcase full of cash” upon being stopped by police under terrorism laws after flying into Heathrow from China. Academic Christopher Berry, was discovered with £4,000 when he was intercepted at the airport in February 2023, almost six weeks before he was formally arrested on suspicion [...]
Thousands march through London to protest digital ID plans October 18, 2025 Thousands of protesters have marched through central London to show their opposition to digital ID plans. Under strict police conditions, demonstrators chanted and waved banners along a route from Marble Arch to Whitehall on Saturday afternoon. The Prime Minister announced in September that a digital ID system would be introduced in 2029 and would be [...]
Former BT boss in advanced talks to be next chairman of Heathrow October 18, 2025 The former BT Group chief Philip Jansen is lined up to be the next chairman of Heathrow Airport as it prepares to deliver a nearly £50bn expansion. Jansen, is in advanced talk with the board and shareholders of the UK’s largest aviation hub about taking on the role, according to Sky News. Sources said an [...]
Reeves seeks to boost UK share ownership in ISA overhaul October 18, 2025 Chancellor Rachel Reeves is looking to boost UK share ownership as part of her plans to overhaul ISAs, with potential measures including a minimum holding of British companies and a stamp duty tax break. The move is an evolution of the previously scrapped Conservative plan to create a ‘Brit ISA’ and comes as Reeves searches [...]
Conservatives will attempt to block Chagos deal over China spying fears October 18, 2025 Conservative MPs will launch a last-ditch attempt to block the Chagos Islands deal next week due to fears it will be used by China to spy on the UK. First reported in the Telegraph, the Tories plan to force a vote in Parliament over whether to effectively end the deal by holding up payments to [...]
China threatens ‘consequences’ over London embassy delay October 17, 2025 China has unleashed a threat of “consequences” over the latest delay to approving its application for a highly controversial new embassy at the Royal Mint Court site in London, amid escalating diplomatic tensions between the UK and the world’s second largest economy. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian has blasted Keir Starmer for failing to [...]
Over half of firms would stop hiring if Reeves hikes taxes, survey finds October 17, 2025 More than half of businesses would cut staff or stop hiring if taxes are hiked at this year’s Budget, a leading survey of accountants has found, a fresh warning that Chancellor Rachel Reeves risks inflicting further damage on the UK jobs market. Reeves has publicly said that she was considering making tax hikes at this [...]
