3 h. ago Starmer to defend Budget after Reeves accused of misleading public

Conservatives say chancellor exaggerated fiscal black hole to justify tax rises

Politics

6 h. ago 'It's only going to get worse': Life in Britain's Universal Credit capital where hard

The Budget has divided public opinion but there is nowhere the split is more evident than in the Universal Credit capital of the UK.

Politics

7 h. ago Reeves fights for political survival amid claims she misled public on Budget

The Chancellor insisted she was ‘honest and frank’ about the public finances after opposition figures accused her of exaggerating the scale of the Budget’s black hole

Events

7 h. ago Reeves refuses to guarantee OBR chief's job amid Treasury fury at Budget leak and letter detailing when Chancellor was told there was no hole in the public finances

Rachel Reeves offered only lukewarm support for Richard Hughes amid Treasury anger at the Budget leak and revelations about the forecast timetable.

Economics

8 h. ago Reeves rejects claims she misled public over Budget ‘black hole’

The Chancellor insisted she was ‘honest and frank’ about the public finances after opposition figures accused her of exaggerating the scale of the Budget’s black hole

Politics

45 h. ago No 10 denies Reeves 'lied to public about £21bn black hole' before budget

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch claimed the Chancellor ‘lied to the public’ and was ‘bribing Labour MPs to save her own skin’

Economics

47 h. ago No10 denies Rachel Reeves misled public over the economy in run up to Budget

Rachel Reeves had signalled that she could be forced to hike income tax in the Budget to plug an economic black hole -estimated by experts to be around £20billion

Economics

49 h. ago Reeves accused of misleading public on Budget black hole to justify £26bn tax raid

Badenoch claims chancellor ‘lied to the public’ and was ‘bribing Labour MPs to save her own skin’

Economics

49 h. ago No 10 denies Reeves misled public over the UK's finances ahead of Budget

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch claimed the Chancellor had ‘lied to the public’ and should be sacked

Economics

51 h. ago Rachel Reeves 'lied to Brits about £21bn black hole to justify Benefits Street tax raid on workers'

Chancellor Rachel Reeves delivered a series of extraordinary grim warnings about the state of the government's books in the run-up to the Budget.

Economics

53 h. ago Rachel Reeves accused of 'lying' as OBR watchdog reveals she was told MONTHS before Budget there was NO hole in the public finances... but still talked up misery to cover brutal tax hikes

Chancellor Rachel Reeves delivered a series of extraordinary grim warnings about the state of the government's books in the run-up to the Budget.

Economics

57 h. ago Working people DON'T like the Budget! Poll finds public think Labour's package is unaffordable and unfair

Chancellor Rachel Reeves' Budget package was widely regarded as unfair and unaffordable, according to a poll.

Economics

3 d. ago Starmer accused of 'misleading' public over Labour's big tax plans in car

Keir Starmer was repeatedly challenged over whether he deserved the 'trust' of the British people in a bruising interview after the Budget .

Politics

3 d. ago Starmer says Budget ‘asked everybody to contribute’ to protect public services

The Prime Minister rejected claims the scrapping of the two-child cap had been announced to shore up his own position.

Politics

3 d. ago OBR boss says he will RESIGN if he loses Chancellor's confidence over Budget leak fiasco

Richard Hughes said he was 'personally mortified' after the OBR's Budget assessment was made public before Rachel Reeves addressed the Commons.

Economics

3 d. ago Burst in AI bubble could blow £26bn hole in Rachel Reeve's hopes of balancing the books

It was the first time the Office for Budget Responsibility has outlined how public finances could be affected if the rally in tech stocks sparked by the boom in artificial intelligence crashes.

Economics

4 d. ago Budget does not go far enough in public service investment – Stormont minister

Stormont Finance Minister John O’Dowd said Rachel Reeves’ spending plan ‘strengthened the need’ for fiscal devolution in Northern Ireland.

Politics

4 d. ago Rachel Reeves says budget will cut living costs after shock OBR leak

Chancellor unveils action on energy bills, rail fares and two-child benefit cap as she reveals £26bn tax risesHow does freezing tax thresholds affect your tax bill?Budget 2025: key points at a glanceRachel Reeves has declared her budget will slash living costs for millions including ending the two-child benefit limit and cutting energy bills, but taxes are set to soar by £26bn to plug a gaping shortfall in the public finances.Major measures in the budget leaked early in a shock accidental release by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), triggering an instant bond market reaction an hour before the chancellor was on her feet in the House of Commons. After months of speculation, Reeves said her measures would put the public finances on a sustainable path while building “a fairer, a stronger, a more secure Britain” by tackling inflation and investing in large infrastructure projects. Continue reading...

Economics

4 d. ago Voices: ‘A kick in the teeth’: Readers say Rachel Reeves’ Budget ‘punishes responsibility’

Our community overwhelmingly feel the Budget prioritises Labour’s political goals over public needs, hitting already-squeezed taxpayers with steep rises while offering little confidence in meaningful economic improvement

Politics

4 d. ago Live: Tax hiked and growth downgraded as Budget details released early

Ms Reeves is widely expected to pull the lever on tax hikes in order to fill a black hole in the public finances as she delivers her second budget.

Economics