Reeves braced for OBR forecasts to blow £20bn hole in tax and spending plans Downgrades by Treasury watchdog could force chancellor to raise taxes or cut spending at budget to meet fiscal rules The Guardian - UK · Jun 15, 2025
Does Labour’s spending review signal a return to austerity? Rachel Reeves is increasing overall budgets after deep Tory cuts, but some departments face bigger spending cuts than others The Guardian - UK · Jun 12, 2025
Fact check: 2025 spending review claims Round-up of fact checks from the 2025 spending review compiled by Full Fact. The Independent UK · Jun 11, 2025
Spending review delivers big boosts for health and defence – but Rachel Reeves is focused on investment UK chancellor Rachel Reeves has delivered the government’s spending review, setting out its plans and priorities for the next three years. The aim of the review is of course to allocate spending over that time period – but this government is keen for economic growth and so has directed the… The Conversation · Jun 11, 2025
Spending review is a chance for Reeves to paint a more positive picture Labour has so far struggled to explain its purpose and the need to do so will be all the more pressing if it raises taxes again The Guardian - UK · Jun 8, 2025
Unions pile pressure on Reeves to avoid cuts and impose wealth taxes Exclusive: The TUC has ratcheted up pressure on the government to introduce wealth taxes amid a growing expectation that the chancellor will unveil a swathe of spending cuts next week The Independent UK · Jun 7, 2025
UK tax rises in the autumn are essential – but who will pay? Next week’s spring statement is buying time, but the writing is on the wall: Britain is broken, and repairs cost money, says Guardian columnist Larry Elliott The Guardian - UK · Jun 4, 2025
Report casts doubt on Labour’s ability to hit affordable housing target Exclusive: Chancellor urged to increase funding as study suggests government has overestimated its housebuilding figures for England The Guardian - UK · Jun 2, 2025
Reeves in standoff with ministers over proposed cuts to public services IMF suggests chancellor could refine fiscal rules, but some fear policing and social housing face spending cuts The Guardian - UK · May 27, 2025
EU return should have been ‘top of the agenda’ for summit, says SNP The Prime Minister is expected to announce a deal with the bloc. Evening Standard · May 18, 2025
UK annual borrowing exceeds forecasts by almost £15bn in blow to Rachel Reeves Chancellor may be forced to raise taxes or announce deeper public spending cuts, economists say The Guardian - UK · Apr 23, 2025
‘The whole policy is wrong’: rebellion among Labour MPs grows over £5bn benefits cut Dozens of MPs are angry at their party, despite frantic efforts by whips and government ministers to assuage them The Guardian - UK · Apr 20, 2025
As Labour frustration grows, could OBR forecasts be cut to once a year? Figures in No 10 feel the Office for Budget Responsibility’s twice-yearly reports undermine Rachel Reeves’ plan to scrap the spring statement The Guardian - UK · Apr 18, 2025
Britain needs houses, and Labour’s bold plan will address that. But it may require more migrants Ministers are ready to be relentless over planning reform. There is a skills gap though – and they must be brave enough to fill it, says Guardian columnist Polly Toynbee The Guardian - UK · Apr 18, 2025
The Independent UK · Apr 8, 2025 MPs could vote on benefit cuts before knowing full details, Starmer says Labour says its welfare reforms are designed to help people into work – but MPs might have to take that on faith
Evening Standard · Apr 7, 2025 Government will meet target of 1.5m homes, says Rayner after watchdog forecast A Conservative former minister asked Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner to ‘confirm’ the 1.5 million new homes target ‘has gone’.
The Guardian - UK · Apr 5, 2025 Rachel Reeves must break her fiscal rules. Better now than later There is already arguably too little flexibility in the chancellor’s budget plan. Trump’s tariffs chaos makes a rethink inevitable
The Independent UK · Apr 3, 2025 True scale of welfare cuts ‘closer to £9bn’, experts warn Experts warn 100,000 more people plunged into poverty by cuts than government previously estimated
Evening Standard · Apr 2, 2025 Fact check: Economic growth is forecast to slow in 2027 and 2028 Growth is not expected to go up in 2027 or 2028, although the economy will continue to grow.
The Independent UK · Apr 2, 2025 Extra 400,000 people to be signed off as unfit for work under Labour’s welfare reforms, government admits Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall has insisted the changes are needed to fix the ‘broken’ system left by the last Conservative government
The Independent UK · Apr 1, 2025 How might Trump tariffs affect UK business on ‘Liberation Day’? Analysis: Sweeping changes set to affect the UK and ultimately large parts of the world
Evening Standard · Apr 1, 2025 ‘Very limited’ tariff war could be ‘mildly positive’ for UK, suggests OBR member MPs were told there could be a scenario where some things become cheaper in the UK, but most possible outcomes are still ‘negative’.
Evening Standard · Mar 30, 2025 Spending more on benefits would be ‘wrong approach’, Jackie Baillie says Scottish Labour’s deputy leader defended the UK Government’s welfare cuts as she said the rise in the benefit bill is ‘unsustainable’.
The Guardian - UK · Mar 30, 2025 Planning changes offer a bright spot for Rachel Reeves – but grey areas exist OBR’s verdict of a long-term 0.4% boost to GDP from fewer building restrictions will have real political impact but there are gaps in funding
The Guardian - UK · Mar 30, 2025 The storm-battered chancellor needs her nextdoor neighbour to be a steadfast friend Even if the UK manages to dodge the worst of Donald Trump’s tariffs, we will still suffer from the fallout of a global trade war