Bite-size news and insight from UK business and tech – including funding, deals and appointments
Published: November 26, 2025 at 12:53 pm
Reeves says she will retain the UK’s “competitive” corporation tax rate – the lowest in the G7 – and introduce a new 40% first-year allowance so businesses can write off more of the cost of their investment up front.
“Private investment is the lifeblood of economic growth… but growth needs public investment too.”
Published: November 26, 2025 at 12:50 pm
Reeves also says the UK has some of the lowest levels of retail investment in the UK.
From April 2027 she will reform the ISA system, keeping the full 拢20,000 allowance while designating 拢8,000 of it exclusively for investment. Over-65s will keep the full allowance.
Published: November 26, 2025 at 12:49 pm
“Growth begins with the spark of an entrepreneur. Half of new jobs in Britain are created by scale-up businesses. And we want those jobs created hee, not somewhere else.
“Our job is to make Britain the best place in the world to start up, to scale up, and to stay.”
Reeves says the Government is widening eligibility for its enterprise incentives to attract talent and capital investment.
This includes tax relief for investors and measures for UK listings relief.
She is also launching a call for evidence on how the tax system can better back entrepreneurs.
Published: November 26, 2025 at 12:44 pm
“My Budget is one for fair taxes, strong public services and a stable economy,” she continues.
Reeves says under Labour the economy will be grown patiently and stubbornly.
“By founders who bet their savings on an idea. By firms breaking into new markets. Developing new technologies, and creating new opportunities.
“Our job is to partner with them.”
Published: November 26, 2025 at 12:40 pm
“After 14 years of Conservative government, the nation demanded change. It demanded investment, not cuts, to public services,” she says.
Reeves says the plan today is hers. “I said there would be no return to austerity, and I meant it.”
Published: November 26, 2025 at 12:36 pm
A cacaphony of noise as Reeves is invited to the despatch box.
She is quick to point out that the early publication of the Budget is an eror made by the OBR, not her.
Published: November 26, 2025 at 12:35 pm
As expected, the two-child benefit cap will also be lifted.
Owners of properties valued over 拢2m will also pay a new annual tax from 2028.
Published: November 26, 2025 at 12:31 pm
The OBR says that around three-quarters of the planned reduction in borrowing over the next five years now comes from tax increases.
It has cut its medium-term productivity growth forecast to 1% from 1.3%.
“A significant rebound from recent negative shocks has not materialised,” the OBR said.
Published: November 26, 2025 at 12:28 pm
The OBR says the report was published early due to a technical error and has apologised.
It has launched an investigation 补苍诲听says it will make sure it never happens again.
Published: November 26, 2025 at 12:25 pm
The OBR says that the Budget will raise taxes by 拢26bn by 2029-30 with income tax thresholds to be frozen for three years.
The proportion of tax of GDP will hit an all-time high of 38% in 2030-31.
Published: November 26, 2025 at 12:11 pm
The OBR report – which leaked the entire Budget early – was published in error.
Badenoch asks whether Starmer will launch an inquiry into the leaks. He responds that it is only 25 minutes away…
Published: November 26, 2025 at 12:09 pm
Kemi Badenoch steps up and labels the lead-up to the Budget the most chaotic in living memory.
She cites Budget leaks from the Office for Budget Responsibility as evidence of this.
Sir Lindsay Hoyle tells MPs to quieten down if they want this Budget.
“Nobody wants this Budget, Mr Speaker,” quips the Tory leader.
Starmer retorts: “We all know the most chaotic Budget – Liz Truss’s.”
Published: November 26, 2025 at 12:04 pm
Keir Starmer tells the Commons: “This will be a Labour Budget.”
A packed chamber cheers and derides that statement.
Published: November 26, 2025 at 10:24 am
Rachel Reeves has vowed to take 鈥渇air and necessary choices鈥� on the economy in today’s Autumn Budget.
Tax rises are expected in the highly anticipated Budget, with Reeves set to appear at the despatch box from 12.30pm.
In a video, the Chancellor has acknowledged public anger and frustration at 鈥渦nfairness in our economy鈥�. Both Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Reeves are faring poorly in popularity polls at present just 16 months after taking office.
Reeves is looking to fill a black hole in the public finances with a 鈥渟morgasbord鈥� of tax rises after an apparent U-turn on聽an increase in income tax.
Two tax changes were announced yesterday: the expansion of the sugar tax to cover packaged milkshakes and lattes, plus devolved powers for English mayors to impose a tourist tax.
Minimum wage rates will increase next year to 拢12.71 for adults aged 21 and over, and to 拢10.85 for 18-20-year-olds.
Reeves is also expected to ditch the two-child benefit cap and makes changes to ISAs.
Published: November 26, 2025 at 9:59 am
The Budget is a pivotal moment for the UK to show it is serious about restoring confidence in its innovation economy.
The changes that HMRC have made to the R&D scheme in recent years have rightly strengthened its integrity but have also resulted in a 26% reduction in claim volumes. However, the fact that UK venture funding surpassed 拢4.5 billion in Q3 2025, the strongest quarter since 2022 tells a contrasting story.
This year鈥檚 budget must connect these trends in a way that restores confidence in the scheme鈥檚 use, while appropriately rewarding the ambition that fuels the economy.There are five priority actions that would make a material difference for UK innovators:
Lowering the ERIS threshold to 20% so it reflects real-world R&D spend and doesn鈥檛 exclude legitimate claims.
Moving R&D credit rates toward international parity to ensure the UK remains competitive as an innovation hub.
Implementing a clear, digital-first Advance Assurance process that meaningfully reduces enquiry risk for SMEs and scaling businesses.
Making full expensing permanent for both tangible and intangible assets to support long-term investment.
Modernising EMI and simplifying investment schemes to help high-growth companies attract talent and unlock capital.
Announcements like the new 拢1 million bioengineering sandbox fund show the government recognises the need to fuel breakthrough sectors, yet the R&D scheme offers a way to get full value from those investments and must give companies the clarity and certainty to invest, hire and scale.
With broader tax rises likely elsewhere, R&D relief and innovation funding are the levers that can deliver growth without sacrificing fiscal discipline.
Published: November 26, 2025 at 9:24 am
The economic system in our country is fundamentally broken.
That isn鈥檛 because people aren鈥檛 working hard, but because the government has stopped rewarding those that do.
For years we have tried to tax, spend and subsidise our way to growth. It hasn’t worked. And it鈥檚 not going to work this time around either.聽
There are 5.7 million private sector businesses in the UK and 99.8% of them are SMEs employing 16.6m. I think I speak for all of them when I say we want Britain to have a thriving economy.聽
But if the Government want the same – and surely, they do – they have to stop punishing success and start championing it instead.
The tax system has to be fair. If taxes on wealth rise, I certainly won鈥檛 be leaving the UK to pay less tax abroad. My home is here. My family and friends are here. Whatever money is in the bank means nothing if friends and family aren鈥檛 there to share it with me.
But it’s a view not shared by everyone. Only this last week, steel mogul and billionaire Lakshmi Mittal quit the UK to reportedly head to Dubai in response to the tax changes imposed on the super-rich.
My issue isn鈥檛 about paying tax – far from it. My issue lies with a system that puts disproportionate burden on entrepreneurs, those who create jobs, who take risks, forge success, and drive growth, but then expects them to carry the economy on their backs.
SMEs generate a staggering 拢2.8 trillion in turnover. That鈥檚 over half of all private-sector revenue. Figures that polarise that success should be celebrated – not treated as a burden. If we want to see growth in this country next year, not in 10 years, we need to back entrepreneurs now.
For as long as I can remember there has been endless discussions about investment in public services as the solution to every national problem.聽
6.1 million people are employed across the public sector, with a staggering annual wage bill of 拢270billion. Yet despite staff numbers, we鈥檝e all seen and heard the stories of a system that鈥檚 failing, huge waiting lists, services that aren鈥檛 delivering, services that are being cut. Office of National Statistics data shows that public sector productivity is still falling.
I鈥檓 not knocking the public sector: our public services, the NHS especially, matter deeply. Free healthcare at the point of access is something this country should be proud of – but investment into it and the rest of public sector alone won鈥檛 get Britain firing again. Wholesale efficiency, accountability and modernisation will.
In my view, systematic change to welfare goes hand in hand with that. Welfare absolutely must protect those who need help – but it categorically should not be a system that holds people back.
The welfare system needs to be humane and effective. But we have to be honest 鈥� parts of it have evolved into something it was never meant to be.
Too many people have been conditioned by it, to believe that living off the state is the only path available to them. That isn鈥檛 because they lack talent, but because the system doesn鈥檛 incentivise or encourage ambition.聽
I hope we see the whites of Rachel Reeves eyes that the Budget isn鈥檛 just another sticking plaster to try and hold the economy together, when in truth industrial-strength super glue is what鈥檚 needed.
Published: November 26, 2025 at 9:12 am
Last year鈥檚 Budget showed how quickly financial decisions translate into real pressures for staff.
Many employees saw slower pay reviews, fewer progression opportunities and, in some sectors, restructuring that had come in as a response to their tighter budgets.
Employees are not watching the Budget to understand dividend thresholds; they are looking for details about what it could mean for their job security.
Published: November 25, 2025 at 9:24 am
An Aquis-listed FinTech business which changed its leadership team this summer has agreed a $200 million funding deal and plans to list in the United States.
Valereum Plc, which is focused on tokenised digital markets and headquartered in Gibraltar, has entered into an agreement to raise $200m of royalty and streaming capital from Valereum QGP-SP – a new company formed by聽Cayman Islands-based Quorium Global Photonics, an asset-backed financing firm.
In return, the company will grant Valereum QGP-SP a one-year option to purchase up to a maximum 49.9% of ordinary shares in Valereum Plc.
痴补濒别谤别耻尘听parted company with CEO Nick Cowan in June following the collapse of a 拢19m investment deal. It then quickly agreed a 鈧�1.7m strategic investment for a minority stake in Fideum Group Limited聽补苍诲听installed board member Gary Cottle (pictured) as its new CEO.
Published: November 25, 2025 at 8:13 am
Profits have dropped significantly at identity specialist GBG Group plc.
For the聽six months ended 30th September 2025, operating profit fell 29% to 拢6.7m while profit before tax dropped 27% to 拢4.1m. Revenue for the period fell 1% to 拢135.5m.
GBG said its FY26 financial performance is expected to be in line with current market expectations while it is continuing to turn around its American operation ‘to build a stronger, sustainable business in our largest market’.
“We’re confident our current actions will result in the Americas returning to growth in the second half as a result of driving structural changes under new leadership,” it said.
During the period it moved from the junior AIM market to the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange.
GBG also announced a 拢10m extension of its share repurchase programme. It made 拢17m of share buybacks in the first half with an additional 拢18m committed until 30th November 2025.
Published: November 25, 2025 at 7:47 am
AO World PLC has reported strong growth in revenues & profits despite inflationary 鈥榟eadwinds鈥�.
The Bolton-headquartered electricals retailer said total revenue for the six months ended 30th September 2025 was 拢586 million, up 14% year-on-year.
Both operating profit and profit before tax were at 拢18m for the period, up 7% and 10% respectively.
AO said the national minimum wage and National Insurance cost increases had cost it 拢4m in the period.
It added that losses at its musicMagpie subsidiary had been narrowed from 拢6m at acquisition to a forecast of 拢2m for FY26, with an exit run-rate of breakeven.
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