5 hours ago Employment rights bill will cost firms £5bn per year but benefits will justify costs, government says – UK politics live

Analysis from business and trade department says bill will significantly strengthen workers’ rightIn the past the weirdest budget tradition was the convention that the chancellor is allowed to drink alcohol while delivering the budget speech. But since no chancellor has taken advantage of the rule since the 1990s (and no one expects Rachel Reeves to be quaffing on Wednesday week), this tradition is probably best viewed as lapsed.But Sam Coates from Sky News has discovered another weird budget ritual. On his Politics at Jack and Sam’s podcast, he says:Someone messaged me to say: ‘Did you know that over in the Treasury as they’ve been going over all these spending settlements, in one of the offices, its full of balloons. And every time an individual department finalises its settlements, o...

Economics

8 hours ago No 10 says Starmer won’t offer reparations or apology over Britain’s role in slavery at Commonwealth summit – UK politics live

Government opposed to idea of paying reparations for Britain’s historic role in slave trade and will not issue apology at Commonwealth meetingIn the past the weirdest budget tradition was the convention that the chancellor is allowed to drink alcohol while delivering the budget speech. But since no chancellor has taken advantage of the rule since the 1990s (and no one expects Rachel Reeves to be quaffing on Wednesday week), this tradition is probably best viewed as lapsed.But Sam Coates from Sky News has discovered another weird budget ritual. On his Politics at Jack and Sam’s podcast, he says:Someone messaged me to say: ‘Did you know that over in the Treasury as they’ve been going over all these spending settlements, in one of the offices, its full of balloons. And every time an indivi...

Politics

8 hours ago Now high earners are in Labour's tax crosshairs: Minister refuses to say if pledge not to hammer 'working people' includes the better paid

Stephen Kinnock refused to answer as he was grilled over whether the protection Labour promised at the election extended six figure earners.

Politics

9 hours ago Streeting revives claim that some patients face avoidable ‘death sentence’ due to current state of NHS – UK politics live

Health secretary says NHS is going through the ‘worst crisis in its history’In the past the weirdest budget tradition was the convention that the chancellor is allowed to drink alcohol while delivering the budget speech. But since no chancellor has taken advantage of the rule since the 1990s (and no one expects Rachel Reeves to be quaffing on Wednesday week), this tradition is probably best viewed as lapsed.But Sam Coates from Sky News has discovered another weird budget ritual. On his Politics at Jack and Sam’s podcast, he says:Someone messaged me to say: ‘Did you know that over in the Treasury as they’ve been going over all these spending settlements, in one of the offices, its full of balloons. And every time an individual department finalises its settlements, one of the balloons is ...

Politics

13 hours ago Budget tax hit fears for £100,000+ earners as minister won’t say they are Labour’s ‘working people’

The stance will fuel fears that London could be heavily impacted by the Budget due to be delivered by Chancellor Rachel Reeves on October 30

Economics

16 hours ago Labour insists Holyrood set for public spending boost despite £40bn Budget gap

A Scottish Labour minister has insisted Rachel Reeves’ Budget next week will see a boost to public spending for the SNP government.

Economics

31 hours ago Almost half of voters back hiking borrowing at Budget to fund new hospitals, roads and rail

The poll will come as a boost to the Chancellor Rachel Reeves who is considering tweaking rules to allow her to invest billions more in vital infrastructure projects

Politics

34 hours ago Labour's economic plans risk creating £80bn black hole... and cutting GDP

The Growth Commission calculates that the Government's economic policies will cut national output by nearly 9% by the end of the decade.

Economics

35 hours ago Tories blast Labour's 'myth' that they inherited a £22bn black hole in public finances ahead of tax

Shadow business secretary Kevin Hollinrake lashed out after it was revealed that the Government is to plough billions more into the NHS to try to improve healthcare.

Economics