Reform UK: Kent local authority poised to hike council tax October 6, 2025 Reform UK-run Kent County Council is likely to raise council tax next year, with a cabinet member suggesting that a five per cent hike is on the cards. Diane Morton, the council lead for adult social care, told the Financial Times: “We’ve got more demand than ever before and it’s growing.” “We just want more [...]
Tories vow to ease IR35 rules and cut red tape for small businesses October 6, 2025 Identification checks for small businesses would be eased under a new Tory pledge to slash red tape and allow entrepreneurs to open bank accounts at a quicker pace. Andrew Griffith, the shadow business secretary, will tell party members that the Tories would make growth among small businesses central to wider economic plans as they would [...]
China spying case collapse leads to ‘interference’ accusations October 6, 2025 Senior officials have pointed fingers at the Labour government over the decision by the Crown Prosecution Service to drop the espionage case against two men accused of spying for China. Senior UK government figures told the Financial Times that the government fatally undermined the Chinese spying case in order to protect the UK’s commercial and [...]
Mel Stride pledges sweeping tax cuts for businesses and young people October 6, 2025 Mel Stride has pledged to make sweeping tax cuts for businesses and young house buyers if the Tories are re-elected, in a speech talking up the party’s economic plans for the coming years. In a speech setting out the Tories’ commitment to keep public spending under control and lower costs for businesses, Stride accused Labour [...]
Economists ask Labour to prioritise planning reform and cut tax to boost growth October 6, 2025 A survey of economists and policy experts has put pressure on Labour to “spend political capital” on planning reform to encourage more home building and on reforming the welfare system, reflecting the urgency of the government’s mission to grow the economy. A centre-left think tank focused on growth policy, the Centre for British Progress, has [...]
Capital gains tax raid should have ‘health warning’, Labour warned October 6, 2025 Labour risks stunting growth and discouraging investment if it pursues further capital gains hikes, tax advisers have warned, as reforms proposed by top think tanks were pushed back on by industry figures. Rachel Reeves and Keir Starmer have talked up the prospects of attracting investment in the UK and making the wider tax system fairer [...]
Tories commit to £47bn savings package to ‘restore public finances’ October 6, 2025 The Tories have committed to making £47bn in savings across the welfare state and Whitehall to “ensure the country lives within our means”, in a radical pledge that aims to restore the beleaguered party’s reputation for fiscal responsibility. In a speech to Tory party members in Manchester on Monday, Shadow Chancellor Mel Stride will claim [...]
Mayor of London to move ahead with plans to pedestrianise Oxford Street October 6, 2025 The mayor of London has confirmed he is ploughing ahead with “bold proposals” to pedestrianise Oxford Street after claiming a one-day traffic ban significantly boosted the local economy. Footfall in the West End area was 45 per cent higher on the day when traffic was prohibited from accessing a half-mile stretch of road from Orchard [...]
Home Secretary denies ministerial interference amid dropped Chinese spy case October 5, 2025 Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, said she was “very disappointed” about the collapse of a major Chinese spying case but denied there was any ministerial interference. The case against Christoper Cash, a former parliamentary researcher, and Christopher Berry, was due to start at Woolwich crown count on Monday, but was dropped on 15 September, a move [...]
Kemi Badenoch: My approach will “pay off eventually” October 5, 2025 Conservative leader, Kemi Badenoch, has insisted her approach to changing the struggling party will “pay off eventually” as she battles dwindling voter support. In an interview with BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg, Badenoch stressed that she would not “rush out” new policies and instead take the time needed to “get it right”. She acknowledged that the Conservative [...]
