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Budget & Policy 53 stories
Barclays to cut 5,000 jobs as bank’s bosses hail AI productivity advances
Equating to the loss of 5% of its 93,000 global staff, job cuts come as bank announces jump in quarterly profitsBarclays is cutting 5,000 jobs as part of wider cost-saving plans that its bosses say are being driven by ad...
Rosebank row: will Labour block the oilfield? – podcast
The government has given the go-ahead for the Jackdaw gasfield, but that was the easy part. The next big headache is the Rosebank oilfield. The energy secretary, Miatta Fahnbulleh, has indicated she might reject this lic...
Tax online sales more heavily to save high streets, Burnham urged
Exclusive: British Chambers of Commerce president calls for overhaul of business rates and greater powers for local leadersHow Middleton’s revival could inspire struggling townsWhat makes a good town? Here are five key i...
Budget 2026: Sainsbury’s boss urges Labour to tackle Neets crisis
The boss of Sainsbury’s has urged the government to tackle the UK’s youth unemployment crisis, as he hit out at previous hikes to the cost of hiring workers. Simon Roberts, chief executive of the UK’s second-largest groc...
French borrowing costs overtake US amid budget turmoil
France’s bond market hit by another bout of selling as country recovers from weekend protestsFrench borrowing costs continued to rise on Thursday, as investors fret that France’s government is struggling to pass a federa...
You be the chancellor: play our budget game to see if you can balance the books
See if you can do a better job than John Healey at creating a budget that keeps MPs and the bond markets onsideOn 28 October, John Healey will announce the autumn budget to parliament. As in all years, the chancellor has...
Healey: I want to help bloody-minded founders
John Healey has pledged to devote next week’s Budget to “bloody-minded entrepreneurs”, acknowledging small and fast-growing businesses have been “under pressure” from a barrage of fresh taxes and regulation. The Chancell...
The 'trillion pound' oil fund the government believes Britain could have built
For the first time, the Treasury calculates how much the UK could have raised by investing North Sea proceeds.
Healey weighs removing standing charges on gas bills
Chancellor John Healey is looking at cutting standing charges on gas bills as part of the government’s push to cut household energy costs, the Prime Minister has announced. Speaking in the House of Commons today, Andy Bu...
Double blow to Healey as inflation rises to 3.5% and monthly deficit hits £24bn
Consumer prices rise by more than expected while government’s debt interest payments surge to record high for SeptemberBusiness live – latest updatesInflation surged to 3.5% last month while the government deficit was a...
French borrowing costs hit 24-year high as civil unrest and budget fears spook markets
Yield on 10-year government bonds passes 5% amid failure to pass budget and fallout from violent street protestsBusiness live – latest updatesFrance’s borrowing costs have climbed above 5% for the first time in 24 years...
Stratford International on track to get cross-Channel trains in budget boost
Sadiq Khan says upgrade would unlock station’s true potential and allow it to live up to its nameBusiness live – latest updatesStratford International train station in east London will receive funding in next week’s budg...
Healey’s fiscal ‘dilemma’ ahead of the Budget
Forecasters sitting in a small office at the top of the Ministry of Justice building have had their work cut out this week. A week from the Budget, the headquarters for the Office for Budget Responsibility, the independe...
Bank of England set to overshadow Healey’s Budget with interest rate hike
The Bank of England is expected to overshadow John Healey’s maiden Budget with a “done deal” interest rate hike aiming to tame soaring inflation while risking economic growth. Top City economists predict the central bank...
Inflation and government borrowing highest for a year ahead of next week's Budget
Inflation accelerated to 3.5% from 3.1% in the year to September, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
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