UK budget watchdog in danger of strangling economic growth, says TUC boss Paul Nowak says OBR should be modernised to ditch ‘hardwired’ support for austerity economics
Nigel Farage is today’s Enoch Powell and his appeal down to slow economy, says minister Business secretary Peter Kyle says appeal of far-right parties like Reform due to ‘their dogma of disruption, division and despair’
Rachel Reeves plans £7.5bn tax rise in budget after U-turn on income tax rates Chancellor expected to freeze level at which people start paying income tax for two years rather than putting rates up
Reeves’s tax U-turn: how Labour changed course on budget plans Chancellor spent weeks preparing the ground for breaking manifesto pledge but events this week appeared to change her mind
‘Eat out to help out’ scheme added to air pollution in London, study finds Commercial cooking shown to be cause of unusual peaks when policy was operating during pandemic in autumn 2020
Hundreds of thousands to lose heat pump subsidies in Reeves’s budget plan Exclusive: Supporters say grants largely going to middle-class households, but experts warn move will slow transition from gas boilers
Burberry bosses urge Rachel Reeves to reinstate tax-free shopping for tourists British luxury brand urges chancellor to pursue ‘progressive policies’ in budget to increase spending sprees by foreigners
Amid disappointing UK growth, how can Rachel Reeves escape the doom loop? Stronger public finances require stronger economy, but large tax rises and spending cuts could squeeze activity further
UK economy grew by just 0.1% in third quarter after hit from JLR cyber-attack Figure undershoots forecasts, with Jaguar Land Rover hack helping to pull September GDP down by 0.1%
Labour is standing on a precipice: if it breaks its election promise on tax, it will never be trusted again Ruling out tax rises in its 2024 manifesto was utterly reckless and will fan the flames of the far right, says Guardian columnist Owen Jones
Rising unemployment could affect budget, interest rates, pay and more Rachel Reeves will need to avoid depressing economy and hitting jobs while raising billions in extra tax
Rachel Reeves signals plan to remove two-child benefit cap in budget Chancellor understood to be preparing to fully reverse measure, which would cost over £3bn but could lift 350,000 children out of poverty
The bond market is wrong. Reeves should not cut welfare to placate the City Keeping the markets on side is the chancellor’s priority but it’s not an easy task given their simplistic, misplaced views on welfare cuts
‘A job is like finding a needle in a haystack’: how Dudley became centre of UK’s youth jobs crisis Almost one in five school-leavers in West Midlands town are not in education, employment or training and chancellor is under pressure to deliver promised ‘youth guarantee’
Lucy Powell says Labour must stand by promise not to raise key taxes New deputy leader also calls on government to lift two-child benefit cap urgently and in full