Analysis: Britain faces universal credit cut, public sector pay freeze and national insurance risePrices are climbing in the shops and consumers face an autumn crunch. Official figures show inflation rose at the fastest rate in a decade in August, as t…
Taxing the lower-paid could stop the economic recovery in its tracks
With a slew of bigger household bills approaching, Sunak is hampering growth and the green transition by being hawkishThere are plenty of nasty bills looming for the average British household that could persuade many to keep their savings firmly on dep…
UK economic recovery stalled in July amid worker shortages
GDP grew by only 0.1% despite removal of most Covid controls, with supply chain crisis making impactCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageBritain’s economic recovery from the winter lockdown virtually stalled in July despite the r…
Treasury to decide how much of social care levy goes to NHS after 2025
In first three years, less than one pound in six will go to social care sector, then chancellor will allocateThe chancellor will decide what proportion of the £12bn annual proceeds from the health and social care levy will go to the NHS after 2025, leg…
1.6m Britons still on furlough in July as scheme winds down
HMRC figures show need to continue support for hardest-hit sectors such as aviation, says Unite unionCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe number of workers coming back from furlough fell sharply in July despite the removal of…
Rishi Sunak confirms autumn budget to take place on 27 October
Ministers lobby chancellor for their departments before announcement of £140bn in extra spendingRishi Sunak has given the date of 27 October for his autumn budget, announcing plans to support public services and revive the economy with £140bn of extra …
Raising national insurance to fund social care is fraught with political risk
Analysis: both employers and employees pay NI but the burden weighs heaviest again on younger workersAfter months of havering, the government is poised to make two big announcements in the coming weeks. Both break manifesto pledges, both are fraught wi…
Johnson’s Tories seem to defy reality – but Labour’s ‘realistic’ politics isn’t working | Andy Beckett
Effective politics promises to change who has power, not just manage it more competentlyThe ongoing disaster in Afghanistan is only the latest fiasco to provoke fury at the unseriousness of Boris Johnson’s government. In fact, for the past 20 years Bri…
The real challenges for Rishi Sunak lie ahead despite drop in public borrowing
Analysis: sense of foreboding will gnaw away at chancellor’s Treasury team as October spending review loomsCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThere is good news for Rishi Sunak in the latest public borrowing figures. But there …
Downing Street hints pensions triple lock will be watered down
Boris Johnson’s spokesperson has said there are concerns about tying state pensions rise to earningsDowning Street has given its strongest signal yet that the pensions triple lock will be watered down because of the recent surge in average earnings, wh…