Chancellor John Healey faces a £3.5bn borrowing overshoot in August ahead of his inaugural Budget. The government was expected to borrow around £14.8bn in August, according to the OBR, while the market consensus was around £15.6bn. Actual borrowing reached £18.3bn.
Budget
The Bank of England has kept interest rates on hold, warning that a continuation of the current conflict in the Middle East could force it to raise borrowing costs amid growing fears over inflation. The Bank's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) also announced a surprise plan to sell billions of pounds
Aberdeen Investments has told Chancellor John Healey the UK risks falling further behind Asia on retail investing unless he acts in October's Budget. Research by the firm found that Japanese households now hold 9% of their wealth in equities and mutual funds outside pensions, compared with just 8% i
The UK economy grew by 0.4% in July, faster than analysts’ expectations, and offering some relief to battered markets. Some economists had predicted no growth and the latest figure builds on growth of 0.3% in June and zero growth in May.
JPMorgan Chase chief executive Jamie Dimon has reportedly warned Prime Minister Andy Burnham and Chancellor John Healey, against raising taxes on banks in his inaugural budget in October following an in person meeting. The Wall Street boss is understood to have explained to Mr Burnham and Mr Healey
AJ Bell has called on Chancellor John Healey to commit to pension tax stability to avoid another round of damaging speculation about tax-free cash ahead of the October Budget. The firm shared its Budget submission to the Treasury today, highlighting that a pre-Budget commitment to pension tax s
Chancellor John Healey has claimed growth is at the "heart of fiscal challenges" facing the UK, as he refused to rule out tax rises ahead of his maiden Budget next month. The Chancellor ignored questions about whether households and businesses were set to face another set of tax rises in October, fo
Chancellor John Healey is facing "sleepless nights" over a growing "inflation monster" due to surging oil prices, rising interest rate expectations and spikes in government gilt yields threatening markets on both sides of the Atlantic ahead of his inaugural Budget. High borrowing costs are expected
Treasury officials have presented Chancellor John Healey with a plan to tax oil firms and banks to help rebuild his £22.7bn fiscal buffer, according to reports. Officials believe that a new windfall tax on banks and a further increase on oil firms could help increase government receipts squeez
The UK collected a record £24.2 billion in capital gains tax in 2024/25, according to new data released on Thursday, following Rachel Reeves' decision to raise the rate in her first Budget. HM Revenue & Customs revealed an 89% increase in capital gains tax receipts compared with the previo
Investors and analysts have warned Chancellor John Healey not to give up on the government's efforts to reduce the UK's fiscal deficit in his first Budget, following a spike in government bond yields in recent weeks. Mr Healey is preparing to unveil his first Budget on October 28 at a time when inve
HM Revenue and Customs has collected £322.7 billion in total from National Insurance contributions and tax between April and July 2026, compared with the same period last year. The total represents a £21bn increase on the same four-month period last year, when HMRC collected £301.7
Chancellor Rachel Reeves has announced she will deliver her Spring Statement on 3 March, providing an update on the UK’s economy and public finances. She has instructed the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) to prepare an economic and fiscal forecast to accompany the statement on the same
A survey by the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) has captured the worries of the UK business community, which is seen as adding to an already complex tax system and lacking in direction to promote economic growth. The poll, drawing on feedback from finance professionals working
Equity funds are grappling with their deepest and most prolonged period of withdrawals on record, with investors removing over £10 billion in the past six months alone. According to data from the global funds network Calastone, November marked the second-worst month on record, with a net &poun
