Business confidence slumps to three-year low as tax fears ‘quash risk-taking’ October 9, 2025 Business confidence has plummeted to its lowest level in three years, an industry body’s leading quarterly survey has found, as rising tax fears ahead of the Budget are “quashing” investment and growth in the UK economy. The Labour government has boasted that the country was “open for business” after it struck investment deals with tech [...]
Don’t believe Starmer’s spin on skills October 9, 2025 Keir Starmer has abandoned the target of sending 50 per cent of young people to university, but he risks extending the worst failings of universities into further education, says Iain Mansfield Last week, to great fanfare, Keir Starmer tore up Tony Blair’s target of sending 50 per cent of young people to university. He is [...]
Autumn Budget: ‘Window is closing’ on Labour’s growth mission October 9, 2025 Ahead of the Autumn Budget, City Reporter Samuel Norman sits down with top industry names for a Budget Briefing. This week, chief executive of BusinessLDN shares what he thinks could be the capital’s 21st century moment. The “window is closing” on the government’s mission to achieve economic growth, the boss of London’s business advocacy group [...]
Motor finance lenders gear up for ‘forensic test of discipline’ over redress scheme October 8, 2025 The Financial Conduct Authority has softened the motor finance blow for lenders but experts say firms won’t be able to shift into a new gear just yet. The City watchdog has priced the cost of its industry-wide redress scheme at £11bn – a hefty sum but far below the eye-watering £44bn previously floated. Just over [...]
Former CPS top lawyer: China spy case ‘does not add up’ October 8, 2025 Public prosecutors have said a Chinese spy case involving Christopher Cash and Christopher Berry was dropped due the lack of evidence provided by the Labour government on labelling the country a threat. The Director of Public Prosecutions Stephen Parkinson said the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) tried to take evidence from the government “over many months” [...]
Conference season has made one thing clear: Labour has already failed October 8, 2025 Polling in the aftermath of Labour conference tells a brutal story of a party that has already failed, writes Brandon Lewis.
Badenoch preferred as Prime Minister over Starmer October 8, 2025 Kemi Badenoch has been handed a boost ahead of her make-or-break Tory conference speech today as fresh polling has shown the Tory leader is preferred as Prime Minister over Keir Starmer. The latest City PM/Freshwater Strategy survey has shown that Badenoch leads Starmer by two percentage points as the country’s preferred Prime Minister, a marginal [...]
Brits fear Rachel Reeves’ next Budget will make them worse off October 7, 2025 A majority of Britons believe Rachel Reeves’ next Budget will make them worse off while three in four have lost faith in the government’s growth mission, fresh polling reveals. The Labour government has made growing the UK economy its central mission in government in a bid to claw back support across the electorate. But the [...]
David Kogan: Chair of football regulator appointed despite ongoing inquiry October 6, 2025 Media rights advisor David Kogan OBE has been confirmed as the first chair of the Independent Football Regulator despite an inquiry into his appointment remaining ongoing. Kogan was named preferred candidate by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport earlier this year but questions about his suitability were raised after he revealed he had donated [...]
Reform in poll surge as Starmer’s approval rating remains worst in UK October 6, 2025 Reform UK has extended its lead over Labour in the polls as Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s approval ratings remained the worst of any top British political figure despite rallying calls for voters to back the government in defeating Nigel Farage. The latest monthly City PM/Freshwater Strategy poll shows Nigel Farage’s Reform UK gaining two points [...]
