8 d. ago You really have changed your tune, Sir Keir! Prime Minister says he 'personally struggles' with once

The Prime Minister said he 'personally struggled' with the Office for Budget Responsibility's (OBR) approach in assessing a package of welfare reforms in the Spring Statement.

Politics

1 week ago Keir Starmer launches Labour's local election campaign with attack on Reform amid rising alarm at Nigel Farage threat

Keir Starmer joined his deputy Angela Rayner in the East Midlands as they formally kicked off the push towards the votes on May 1.

Events

2 w. ago MSPs will have to ‘reckon’ with impact of UK Government cuts, says Robison

The Scottish Government’s Finance Secretary was speaking in response to the Chancellor’s spring statement last week.

Politics

2 w. ago The British firms set to be hardest hit by Trump's sweeping tariffs TODAY

It's only a week since Rachel Reeves unveiled her Spring Statement but her plan to balance the nation's books looks set to blown out of the water.

Politics

2 w. ago Some drivers who park car on driveway at risk of extra £128 cost from this week

The findings, calculated by Carmoola, a digital car finance lender, follow the energy regulator's price cap increase and Chancellor Rachel Reeves' Spring statement

Economics

2 w. ago Panic stations for Labour after Spring Statement: Polls show major hit for party in wake of Chancellor's package

A More in Common poll has found Labour dropped three points of support over the past week. Keir Starmer's outfit was on 21 per cent, behind the Tories on 26 per cent and Reform on 25 per cent.

Events

2 w. ago Watch in full: Economists grilled on Rachel Reeves’s spring statement as millions brace for bill rises (cloned)

Watch as UK economists appear before parliament's Treasury Committee on Tuesday, 1 April, to answer questions about Rachel Reeves's spring statement.

Economics

2 w. ago Watch live: Economists grilled on Rachel Reeves’s spring statement as millions brace for bill rises

Watch live as UK economists appear before parliament's Treasury Committee on Tuesday, 1 April, to answer questions about Rachel Reeves's spring statement.

Economics

2 w. ago Trump tariffs latest: Trade war may blow $1.4tn hole in global economy as Lammy says UK ‘preparing for worst’

Donald Trump to unveil sweeping tariffs on any country that ‘treats the US unfairly’ on Wednesday

Economics

2 w. ago Spring Statement leaves UK SME’s more financially vulnerable, reports show

The Chancellor’s Spring Statement, delivered in March 2025, outlined long-term ambitions for economic growth through investment in defence, housing, and digital transformation.

Politics

2 w. ago Citizens Advice Scotland calls for access to banking for all

Wednesday’s Spring Statement from Rachel Reeves ruffled fewer personal finance feathers than her Autumn Budget, which caused a huge flap about changes to Inheritance Tax and pensions.

Politics

2 w. ago Who is running Britain’s economy – Rachel Reeves or Donald Trump?

The chancellor’s careful calculations for her spring statement are likely to be blown out of the water by a looming US trade war• From more tax to rewriting budget rules: six alternative ways Reeves could raise moneyAs Rachel Reeves powered through her spring statement on Wednesday, telling the country she was “restoring stability to the public finances” few in the House of Commons chamber seemed to know what to make of it all.Reeves’s message did not seem to resonate with the underlying mood of uncertainty and anxiety at home and abroad. Many Labour MP nodded loyally along with her, trying to impress the whips. Others on the government benches looked grave. Growth forecasts for this year had been halved. Money would have to be raised to meet the chancellor’s own fiscal rules, and the poorest would be the ones bearing the brunt. Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago Starmer urged to reveal if he made comparison between benefits and pocket money

Treasury minister Darren Jones faced backlash when he made the comparison in the wake of the Chancellor’s spring statement.

Politics

2 w. ago DAILY MAIL COMMENT: 'Awful April' will be the cruellest month

You've got to hand it to Rachel Reeves. Despite her lamentable Spring Statement being savaged across the political spectrum, the Chancellor is putting a brave face on it.

Politics

2 w. ago Watch: Rachel Reeves holds press conference after spring statement backlash

Watch again as Rachel Reeves held a press conference on 26 March following backlash to her spring statement.

Politics

2 w. ago Reeves’s spring statement almost as unpopular as Truss’s disastrous mini

Just one in five voters believe Rachel Reeves is doing a good job, as chancellor’s approval rating plunges towards that of her predecessor Kwasi Kwarteng prior to him being sacked

Events

2 w. ago How did the UK's finances get into such a mess and what does the future hold?

The spring statement shone a light on the dire state of the UK finances - but how is it that our debt pile stands at £2.8trillion and we are paying over £100billion a year in interest?

Politics

2 w. ago Self employed to face higher fines for paying late tax returns

Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced the new measure during the Spring Statement.

Economics

2 w. ago ‘Was this new age austerity always coming?’ Your spring statement questions answered by Andrew Grice

In this exclusive Q&A session, The Independent’s political commentator Andrew Grice tackles welfare cuts, taxation, and the economic challenges facing the UK

Politics

2 w. ago Keir Starmer is one of Labour’s most rightwing prime ministers. And one of its most leftwing, too | Andy Beckett

The PM offers a political hybrid designed for a fickle electorate. There are short-term electoral gains to be won, but risks in the long termFor more than eight months now, since shortly after Labour won power, more and more people have been outraged by the government’s moves to the right. Starting with its decision to keep the Conservatives’ cruel two-child benefit cap last July, the government has regularly given these critics reasons to feel shocked, betrayed or just disappointed.From deportation videos to Keir Starmer’s declaration that “I like and respect” Donald Trump, from repeated public sector cuts to the chancellor Rachel Reeves’s talk of “tearing down regulatory barriers” in this week’s spring statement, Labour has often behaved as if the boundaries between its supposedly centre-left politics and the politics of the right or even the far right have simply melted away. Continue reading...

Politics