Category: UK economy

The Government should rethink its plans for the National Living Wage

The Times is reporting today (Saturday) that the Chancellor is likely to confirm a rise in the National Living Wage (NLW) of about 4%, from £12.21 to at least £12.70, in next month’s Budget. She will also recommit to extending the full living wage to young people between the ages of 18 and 21 (where a lower … Continue reading The Government should rethink its plans for the National Living Wage →

November Budget needs to be big and bold

A year ago, the Chancellor promised that the £40 billion of tax increases announced in her first Budget would be a “one-off”. But it is now almost certain that her second Budget next month will deliver more of the same. What’s gone wrong? The technical answer is that OBR is expected to predict that the … Continue reading November Budget needs to be big and bold →

The ‘Brexit blame game’ is pretty desperate stuff

Rachel Reeves is getting her excuses in early ahead of next month’s Budget, which looks set to be a painful repeat of last October’s “one off”. The Chancellor has already blamed “external headwinds”, “Tory austerity” and “the ongoing impact of Liz Truss’s mini-Budget”. It is no surprise that she has now dropped the “B-word” too. … Continue reading The ‘Brexit blame game’ is pretty desperate stuff →