Keir Starmer may not survive this Budget October 30, 2025 The Prime Minister cannot satisfy all three key audiences: the markets, the party, and the public, says Helen Thomas Every Prime Minister faces a moment when economic reality collides with political promise. For Keir Starmer, Budget day could be that moment of reckoning. He promised calm after chaos: that the grown-ups were back in charge, [...]
‘Unprecedented’ number of small businesses expect to shrink or close down October 30, 2025 A record number of small businesses are expecting to shrink or close down in the next year, a leading industry group has warned, amid a “vicious” cycle of low growth and fears that next month’s Budget could cause more pain for businesses. Nearly one in three of the UK’s small businesses (30 per cent) expect [...]
Pension tax grab could threaten retirement for millions October 30, 2025 A potential raid on pensions in the upcoming November Budget could cause pension funds to lose billions, threatening businesses and the retirement outcome for millions of Brits. UK pension funds could suffer a £50bn loss over the next five years if the Treasury decides to slash pension tax reliefs, according to analysis from wealth manager [...]
Nvidia hits historic $5tn market cap October 29, 2025 AI and chips behemoth Nvidia has smashed another record valuation, with its $5tn market cap that puts it well clear of the GDP of Germany – the fourth biggest economy in the world. Shares in Nvidia jumped up 3.5 per cent in premarket trading, amid a surge in investor enthusiasm for AI. Nvidia’s surge followed [...]
Pound falls to 2023 low against Euro as Budget jitters spike October 29, 2025 The Pound suffered a sharp drop on Wednesday as investors braced for an economic hit in Rachel Reeves’ forthcoming Budget. Sterling’s downturn came as the UK’s fiscal watchdog looks set to hand a hefty downgrade to the country’s productivity growth. On Wednesday morning, the pound fell 0.4 per cent against the Euro to 1.13 – [...]
Keir Starmer refuses to rule out income tax raid at the Budget October 29, 2025 Keir Starmer dodged questions on whether Labour would raise income tax, VAT or national insurance, the clearest sign yet that the government is looking at breaking key party manifesto commitments on taxes. During Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, Kemi Badenoch grilled Starmer on whether Rachel Reeves was laying the groundwork for an income tax raid [...]
PayPal teams up with OpenAI to enable payments in ChatGPT October 29, 2025 PayPal has announced a deal with Sam Altman’s OpenAI to embed its digital wallet directly into ChatGPT, allowing its users to shop and pay for products through the AI platform starting in 2026. Under the agreement, PayPal’s global network will be linked to OpenAI, enabling millions of items to be purchased instantly within ChatGPT. This [...]
Autumn Budget: Rachel Reeves pledges to beat ‘gloomy’ economic forecasts October 29, 2025 Rachel Reeves has insisted that the UK can overcome bleak forecasts that look set to box her into manifesto U-turns and further tax hikes. The Chancellor wrote in The Guardian that she is “determined not to simply accept the forecasts”, pointing to interest rates cuts and trade deals as examples of Britain on the right [...]
Reform pledges £9bn welfare savings as Tories urged to apologise October 29, 2025 Reform UK has laid out a smaller savings package on disability payments than one planned by the Tories as opposition parties vie to gain credibility on welfare reform. Reform UK’s Lee Anderson, the party’s spokesman for welfare, set out plans on curbing personal independence payments (Pips) for under 25-year-olds and for people with “non-major anxiety”. [...]
Complaints to banks ombudsman fall after Treasury clamp down October 29, 2025 Complaints to the banking ombudsman have tumbled in the three months to September 2025 after the Treasury launched its own clamp down. The Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) recorded 46,300 complaints in the quarter, down from 73,700 in the same period last year. In the three months to June, 68,000 complaints were recorded. The fall followed [...]
