More harm than good? Minimum wage hikes kick in from April March 31, 2026 With April approaching plenty of conversations have focused on the end of the tax year, with people scrambling to utilise their ISA allowances, but the month also brings about a pay rise for millions of Brits – and increased costs for employers. The national minimum wage will increase from 1 April, with Chancellor Rachel Reeves [...]
Estate agency Foxtons says ‘government-driven’ costs harming bottom line March 5, 2026 Leading estate agency Foxtons has hit out at the “strain” caused by national insurance and minimum wage hikes as it contends with a “challenging” market. The firm said “government-driven” pressures are harming its bottom line, as revenue growth was “offset” by increased external costs. The Labour government is facing increasing pressure from business to address [...]
Reeves to deliver ‘stability’ Spring Statement amid turmoil in Iran March 3, 2026 Chancellor Rachel Reeves is set to deliver a Spring Statement trumpeting the UK’s economic stability against the backdrop of a war in the Middle East, with official forecasts expected to touch on lower growth, falling inflation and higher unemployment over the coming months. In an address to the House of Commons around 12.30pm today, Reeves [...]
Blair think tank turns fire on Labour over wage hikes and tax squeeze March 1, 2026 Tony Blair’s think tank has published a critique of Labour’s economic strategy, warning that higher minimum wages, rising employers’ National Insurance and tougher workers’ rights risk choking off growth and pricing young people out of jobs. In a striking intervention from the former Labour prime minister’s own policy institute, the report deems the government’s labour [...]
Private sector axes more jobs amid Reeves’ tax and wage pressures February 20, 2026 The UK’s private sectors culled jobs for the seventeenth consecutive month in February led by a significant drop in the services sector as businesses were still digesting the impact of Labour’s 2024 Autumn Budget. The latest flash Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) from S&P Global described the rate of job shedding in February as at a [...]
Starmer sticks to youth minimum wage pledge despite jobs fears February 18, 2026 The government will stick to the Labour party’s manifesto commitment to equalise the minimum wage despite speculation it would row back on the pledge over unemployment fears, the Prime Minister has said. Speaking on Wednesday, Sir Keir Starmer said: “We’ve made commitments to young people in our manifesto, and we will keep to those commitments, [...]
Bank of England’s Mann says minimum wage rise linked to youth employment February 15, 2026 An increase in minimum pay for younger workers has led to a rise in youth unemployment, according to Bank of England rate-setter Catherine Mann, as new data shows Britain’s jobless rate for young people has climbed above the European average. The unemployment rate for 18 to 24-year-olds stood at 13.7 per cent in the three [...]
Urban Pubs and Bars defies hospitality gloom with doubling of profit February 2, 2026 One of London’s biggest pub chains has defied hospitality gloom after posting a more than doubling of profit. Urban Pubs and Bars, which operates more than fifty venues across the capital including The Wren in Bank, the Commercial Tavern in Spitalfields and the Punch Tavern in Fleet Street, saw pre-trax profit climb to £1.7m for [...]
Arrogant Labour has played fast and loose with the jobs market December 17, 2025 As the first full calendar year of life under this Labour government comes to a close, it’s an appropriate time to reflect on how they’ve done and how their promises to renew Britain marry up with reality. How can I put this delicately? Ministers should slope off to their constituencies this Christmas with their heads [...]
Unemployment nightmare is entirely Labour’s fault December 4, 2025 Rising unemployment is a double evil; it both reveals problems in the economy and exacerbates them. Unemployment has risen every month since Labour returned to power, and the number of people out of work will soon hit levels last seen during the pandemic. Last month, the rate of job losses was at its fastest for [...]