64 m. ago NHS set for boost of up to £30bn as other budgets feel squeeze

The Department of Health is set to be handed a 2.8% annual increase in its day-to-day budget over a three-year period.

Economics

35 h. ago Angela Rayner sees surge in popularity after she called on Rachel Reeves to bring in tax rises for the wealthy

Angela Rayner has had a huge leap in popularity among Labour members after demanding tax rises.

Economics

41 h. ago Voices: Rachel Reeves: I saw first hand what the Tories did to kids of my generation

Conservative governments did not care about schools or communities like mine, says the chancellor, as she reveals her motivation behind Labour’s announcement to roll out free school meals for half a million children

Politics

43 h. ago Reeves hits back at spending review critics claiming ‘my choices are Labour choices’

Exclusive: As a cabinet civil war heats up over her spending review, Rachel Reeves has written for The Independent defending her motivations and choices as chancellor

Events

43 h. ago Voices: Rachel Reeves: I saw firsthand what the Tories did to kids of my generation

Conservative governments did not care about schools like mine, communities like mine or the kids I grew up with, reflects Chancellor Rachel Reeves – as she reveals her very personal motivation behind Labour’s announcement to roll out free school meals for half a million of England’s poorest children

Politics

46 h. ago Badenoch ‘will get better’, says Stride as Tories’ polling woes continue

The shadow chancellor insisted the party has the right person in the top job.

Politics

46 h. ago What is Rachel Reeves’ spending review and what might the chancellor announce?

The Independent looks at what the spending review is, why the government has launched one and what is expected to be in it

Politics

47 h. ago Who would be a Chancellor? Rachel Reeves faces some horrible decisions next week

The Spending Review won’t address the big issue - the Chancellor will need to find more money later in the year.

Politics

47 h. ago Tony Blair think tank urges Rachel Reeves to invest billions and not just ‘balance the books’ in spending review

Britain facing cuts after chancellor doubled down on her manifesto pledge not to raise taxes to fund Labour’s spending plans

Economics

49 h. ago Bereaved families of dead pensioners ‘could be pursued by taxman to recoup winter fuel payments’

Chancellor Rachel Reeves has confirmed that millions more elderly Britons will receive the allowance this year in a major U-turn

Economics

55 h. ago Landlords are not an easy target for Rachel Reeves’ tax rises

This is not the time to make the private rented sector market even more difficult for investors, writes David J Alexander

Events

59 h. ago ‘Bold rewiring’ of economy needed as Tories seek to regain trust, Stride says

In a speech on Thursday, Mel Stride is expected to promise the Conservatives will ‘never again’ make offers they cannot afford.

Economics

60 h. ago Worker’s hilarious reaction to Rachel Reeves’ transport speech caught on camera

A staff member at a bus factory had a hilarious reaction to Rachel Reeves’ speech in Greater Manchester on Wednesday morning (4 June).

Events

64 h. ago ‘Accept it or you have to walk’: Labour’s UK spending review battles enter final stage

Chancellor Rachel Reeves faces ‘make or break’ moment for government’s pledge to deliver 1.5mn new homes

Events

64 h. ago Reeves doubles down on pledge not to raise taxes as Britain faces cuts

The chancellor has insisted she can stick to manifesto spending pledges as experts question her grasp of the nation’s finances

Politics

65 h. ago The Guardian view on Labour’s investment plans: sugaring the bitter pill of austerity | Editorial

The chancellor is right to be planning for the long term, but voters won’t be patient if change isn’t felt soonInequality between British regions is not a new problem and Rachel Reeves is not the first chancellor to want to close the gap. In 2014, George Osborne promised a “northern powerhouse” to rival the dominance of London and the south-east. He pledged devolution and investment in infrastructure to connect northern cities, to unlock productivity and growth.Since then, Britain’s economy has suffered multiple shocks, some external (the pandemic, inflation stoked by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine), others self-inflicted (Brexit, Liz Truss’s mini-budget). Each time, the damage was more severe in places already falling behind. Boris Johnson claimed levelling up as his defining purpose. Rishi Sunak let the ambition slide. Now it is being revived by a Labour chancellor. In a speech announcing transport investments on Wednesday, Ms Reeves promised a “renewal of Britain”, with prosperity ...

Politics

66 h. ago Martin Lewis sends warning message to chancellor after DWP Winter Fuel Payment update

Rachel Reeves announced that changes to the eligibility criteria for the benefit will be revealed in the coming weeks

Events

67 h. ago Voices: ‘Raising taxes is political suicide’: Readers tackle uncomfortable truth behind UK’s growth slump

Our community is sharply divided over how Rachel Reeves should fix the country’s finances. While some urged spending cuts over tax rises, others insisted ‘we really can’t afford to support the lifestyles of the mega wealthy’

Politics

68 h. ago Badenoch challenges Starmer at PMQs over winter fuel payment U

Tory leader says PM should apologise to pensioners and asks how U-turn will be fundedReeves says her changes to the fiscal rules last year will make more investment possible.The decisions that we made in October mean that, for the first time, the Treasury actually takes account of the benefits and not just the costs of investment, and together, the fiscal rules mean that, unlike our predecessors, we will not be balancing the books by cutting investment.And that is why we can increase investment by over £113bn more than the last government plans, meaning public investment will be at its highest sustained level since the 1970s.I have had to say no to things that I want to do too, but that is not because of my fiscal rules. It is the result of 14 years of Conservative maltreatment of our public services, our public realm and of our economy. Continue reading...

Politics

69 h. ago Voices: I went to a DwP benefit cut consultation: Here’s what I found

Attendees were told how important their views were – but it speaks volumes that we were handed leaflets with the number of the Samaritans on it, writes James Moore

Politics