Economic policy, taxation, public spending, business and employment.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham is to create Great British Grid, a new publicly owned body within Great British Energy intended to invest in electricity infrastructure and speed up grid connections.
Charlotte Mercer · 2 min readChancellor John Healey has pledged to stick to the Government's fiscal rules and said fiscal discipline will run through the 28 October Budget.
Charlotte Mercer · 2 min readThe Government is reviving the Help to Buy equity-loan model with a new scheme offering eligible first-time buyers 2.5% deposits and Government equity loans worth up to 20%.
Charlotte Mercer · 3 min readThe Government has announced a scheme offering eligible young people with disabilities or long-term health conditions a guaranteed paid job, with participation remaining voluntary.
Charlotte Mercer · 2 min readThe Government has announced a new Insourcing Unit to drive what it calls the biggest wave of insourcing in a generation, alongside measures aimed at securing British jobs from utility investment.
Charlotte Mercer · 2 min readPrime Minister Andy Burnham has declined to back a third runway at Heathrow, saying the views of Londoners should be heard before he takes a position on the project.
Charlotte Mercer · 2 min readMinistry of Defence figures show spending with UK industry and commerce reached a record £34.1 billion in 2025/26, up 3.2% in real terms.
Charlotte Mercer · 2 min readThe Treasury Committee has launched an inquiry into whether the Bank of England’s monetary policy independence remains fit for purpose almost 30 years after it was introduced.
Charlotte Mercer · 3 min readThe Government has confirmed Manchester will host the G20 Leaders’ Summit on 27 and 28 November 2027, with world leaders gathering at Manchester Central.
Charlotte Mercer · 2 min readThe Treasury Committee has urged ministers to protect the independence of the Office for Budget Responsibility while recommending that the fiscal watchdog add a new 10-year forecast alongside its existing five-year outlook.
Charlotte Mercer · 3 min readUK public-sector borrowing reached £77.3 billion between April and August, placing it £8.1 billion above the Office for Budget Responsibility's forecast.
Charlotte Mercer · 4 min readThe Bank of England has held Bank Rate at 3.75% in a 6–3 vote but warned inflation could rise slightly above 4% in early 2027 as energy prices increase.
Charlotte Mercer · 3 min readMcLaren Automotive is investing around £500 million to expand its UK manufacturing and engineering operations, creating 1,000 jobs by 2032 and potentially supporting thousands more across the supply chain.
Charlotte Mercer · 3 min readUK CPI inflation rose from 2.9% to 3.1% in August as higher petrol, diesel and air fares pushed up prices, according to the Office for National Statistics.
Charlotte Mercer · 3 min readDowning Street says pensioners whose only income is the basic or new State Pension will not pay income tax on it during this Parliament, as the full new pension heads above the Personal Allowance.
Charlotte Mercer · 4 min readNew ONS figures show UK payrolled employment falling by an estimated 145,000 over the year as vacancies drop to their lowest level outside the Covid period in more than a decade.
Charlotte Mercer · 4 min readFormer Conservative chancellor George Osborne has renewed his call for Britain to rejoin the EU customs union, arguing the economy has suffered severe damage since Brexit.
Charlotte Mercer · 4 min readThe UK economy grew by 0.4% in July, significantly beating expectations for no growth, as services and computer programming helped drive the stronger-than-expected performance.
Charlotte Mercer · 2 min readUK government borrowing costs have surged, with 30-year gilt yields reaching 5.925% — their highest level since 1998 — adding pressure on Chancellor John Healey ahead of his first Budget.
Charlotte Mercer · 3 min readBritain has sold £4.25 billion of 30-year Government debt at a yield of 5.8168%, the highest borrowing cost at any gilt auction or syndication since comparable Debt Management Office records began in 1998.
Charlotte Mercer · 2 min readThe British Chambers of Commerce has urged Chancellor John Healey to replace the state pension triple lock with inflation-linked increases, estimating the change could save £3.3 billion over two years.
Charlotte Mercer · 4 min readChancellor John Healey is unveiling a £150 million British Business Bank fund offering investments of £5 million to £15 million to fast-growing companies across the North of England.
Charlotte Mercer · 4 min readReform UK plans investor meetings in London and New York as Robert Jenrick pledges more than £100 billion of spending reductions in the party's first 100 days in government.
Charlotte Mercer · 4 min readJohn Healey is set to deliver his first major speech as Chancellor on Monday, with UK borrowing costs at their highest level since 2007 and pressure mounting ahead of the 28 October Budget.
Charlotte Mercer · 4 min readChancellor John Healey says the 2027 Spending Review will set a target date for Britain to reach 3% of GDP on defence and a clear path towards the NATO core-defence commitment of 3.5% by 2035.
Charlotte Mercer · 4 min readA government cap preventing Plan 2 and Plan 3 student-loan interest rates from exceeding 6% has taken effect for the 2026/27 academic year, with ministers citing the risk of inflationary shocks linked to conflict in the Middle East.
Charlotte Mercer · 4 min readUK businesses now have full access to all 11 other CPTPP members after the agreement entered into force with Canada, completing Britain's accession to a trading bloc worth almost £13 trillion including the UK.
Charlotte Mercer · 4 min readKemi Badenoch has removed Sir Mel Stride as Shadow Chancellor and promoted Andrew Griffith to lead the Conservatives' economic team, with Claire Coutinho taking over the business brief.
Charlotte Mercer · 3 min readChancellor John Healey is reportedly considering windfall taxes on banks and oil companies as Treasury officials look for ways to plug an estimated £4.7bn gap in the public finances ahead of the October Budget.
Charlotte Mercer · 4 min readThe UK borrowed £1.8 billion in July, £2.3 billion more than the OBR expected, adding to the pressure on Chancellor John Healey before October's Budget.
Charlotte Mercer · 3 min readBritain’s economy grew by 0.4% between April and June, but the Bank of England expects underlying growth to slow to around zero as renewed Middle East conflict, higher energy costs and Budget uncertainty test Andy Burnham’s new government.
Charlotte Mercer · 5 min readPrime Minister Andy Burnham will begin a month-long tour of the UK on Monday, promising to listen to communities and announce further measures addressing living costs, consumer practices and struggling high streets.
Charlotte Mercer · 5 min readWhitbread has announced plans to close all remaining Beefeater restaurants, saying significant cost increases, including measures announced in the Government's Autumn Budget, have made the business unsustainable.
Staff member · 2 min readPrime Minister Andy Burnham has announced a 20% cut in business rates for pubs, clubs and live music venues in England, with the Government saying nearly 32,000 businesses will benefit from the new relief scheme.
Staff member · 2 min readPrime Minister Andy Burnham has stepped back from plans to increase the personal income tax allowance, citing the state of the public finances despite raising expectations during the Makerfield campaign.
Staff member · 1 min readPrime Minister Andy Burnham has announced plans to introduce a £2 cap on single bus fares across England from January 2027 as part of a wider package of cost-of-living measures.
Staff member · 1 min read