Labour considers relaxing global talent visa in answer to Trump’s clampdown September 22, 2025 A UK government task force is considering plans to remove fee costs for the global talent visa after the US slapped a $100,000 charge on one of its key worker visas. On Friday night, President Trump put hundreds of thousands of workers on high alert after he signed an executive order adding a hefty business [...]
OBR ‘downgrades productivity’ in major pre-Budget blow to Rachel Reeves September 16, 2025 The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) has reportedly told Chancellor Rachel Reeves that it will downgrade productivity forecasts for the UK economy, blowing a hole in the public finances and making tax hikes all but guaranteed at this year’s November Budget. In another setback for the Labour government, the OBR has informed the Treasury that [...]
Goldman Sachs: Tax increases will not improve public finances September 10, 2025 Chancellor Rachel Reeves has been warned by a leading Wall Street bank that hiking taxes later this year will not improve the state of public finances. Reeves is widely expected to raise taxes by at least £20bn at this year’s Autumn Budget, with property owners, gambling companies and pension pots likely to be hit with [...]
Labour deputy leader hopeful slams Rachel Reeves’ ‘excessive deference’ to OBR September 8, 2025 The prominent backbencher and former transport secretary Louise Haigh, who is a frontrunner to become the deputy leader of the Labour Party, has taken aim at Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ “excessive deference” to the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) and adhering to “arbitrary fiscal targets”. Senior officials in the Labour Party are set to agree on [...]
Reeves warned ‘sin taxes’ could fail to boost tax receipts September 1, 2025 Labour officials have been warned that plans to boost government revenue by raising “sin taxes” could be judged harshly by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) this year, with industry bosses calling on the Treasury to listen to “on-the-ground concerns” before making a final decision. Reports have suggested the government could raise gambling levies later [...]
Investec raises growth forecast and backs November interest rate cut August 29, 2025 Global banking firm Investec has lifted its growth projections for the UK economy with another interest rate cut pencilled in for 2025. The financial services company expects the UK economy to grow 1.5 per cent this year and 1.6 per cent in 2026. This trumps the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) forecast, which expects the [...]
Reeves warned tax reform would be ‘rushed’ and lead to snags August 20, 2025 Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ efforts to fast-track tax reforms in the three months leading to this year’s Autumn Budget risk being “rushed” and putting Britons at a disadvantage, senior tax advisers have warned. Treasury officials are reportedly “racing” to find tax reforms to ease the burden on businesses and individuals while improving productivity forecasts from the [...]
Starmer refuses to rule out tax rises – and criticises forecasters August 6, 2025 The Prime Minister has refused to comment on whether he will break Labour’s manifesto pledges on taxes at this year’s Autumn Budget as he slapped down independent forecasters’ claims the government faced a £50bn black hole. The National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR) claimed Rachel Reeves would miss her borrowing target by £41.2bn [...]
Immigration is top voter concern, exclusive poll says August 5, 2025 Reducing immigration became more important to voters in July, polling has shown, amid social instability over anti-migrant protests and more calls from top UK economists for a greater focus on getting Brits into the labour market before hiring overseas workers. Research by City PM/Freshwater Strategy has shown reducing immigration is the single most important issue [...]
JP Morgan: Rachel Reeves could slash headroom to avoid large tax rises July 29, 2025 Chancellor Rachel Reeves is poised to reduce her wafer-thin £9.9bn headroom even further at the Autumn Budget to avoid making sweeping tax rises, analysts at one of the world’s biggest banks have predicted. Leading think tanks and City analysts have warned that Rachel Reeves will look to raise as much as £30bn in taxes later [...]
