There’s so much wrong with the recent trade agreement between the US and the UK that it’s difficult to know where to start. First, it’s not a trade deal as it does not reduce tariffs or set the terms for trade between the two countries; instead, it is an agreement about a potential deal. But …
UK Spring statement 2025: little room for manoeuvre
Rachel Reeves’s budget statement in response to the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) update aligned with what was widely flagged ahead of the event. However, it highlighted just how little room there is for manoeuvre in the government’s fiscal projections and how vulnerable the plans are to unfolding events. Admittedly, huge geopolitical and geoeconomic changes …
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Immediate reaction to the October Budget, 2024
This is the first Labour Budget since 2010, and the first by a woman in UK history. It is aimed at raising economic growth in the long run, funded by tax rises and increased borrowing in the short term. The tax rises mainly came from employers’ National Insurance contributions and employers’ contributions to pensions, which …
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