The CBI's warning is clear - higher employment costs, linked to Labour’s Jobs Tax, are killing growth. This follows Institute for Fiscal Studies's warning that any reduction in growth forecasts ‘will almost certainly spark more tax rises’. The 'Spend Today, Tax Tomorrow' Chancellor, Rachel Reeves

This morning’s news that inflation remains well above the 2 per cent target is deeply worrying for families. Labour’s choices to tax jobs and ramp up borrowing are killing growth and stoking inflation – making everyday essentials more expensive.

A new Fair Work Agency will pursue cases against firms, even without employee complaints, which will add costly legal battles and bureaucratic overhead.

Removing qualifying periods for employment rights will mean employees could file tribunal claims from day one, which will expose businesses to immediate legal risks.

Impressive interview with Dame Amanda Blanc CEO of Aviva. Experienced straight talker who seems able to get things done in a complex climate. Quizzed well by Richard Fletcher #TimesCEOSummit

Left the #TimesCEOSummit with new and useful reflections. Especially liked my roundtable of participants on political balance led by Jim Armitage We discussed the impact of Trump, the opportunities & downsides, the future of ESG and parallels with private equity Richard Fletcher

This weekend I did the Three Peaks Challenge. Ben Nevis 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Scafell Pike 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 and Snowdon 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 in 24 hours. How lucky we are to live in the most beautiful country in the world 🇬🇧

Entrepreneurs blast ministers: 'They don't get us' cityam.com/entrepreneurs-…

A good article on how to tackle sickness benefits NOW by ⁦Fraser Nelson⁩ ⁦The Times and The Sunday Times⁩ .How Liz Kendall can stop this national sickness thetimes.co.uk/article/how-li…

Labour has bottled welfare reform and it'll cost the country £3 billion a year by the end of the decade. When you add in the cost of Labour's Winter Fuel Payment U-turn, there is now an unfunded £4.5 billion hole in the finances. Taxes and a possible debt spiral await. My

Reports from the channel suggest we will today break 20,000 illegal immigrants crossing by small boat so far this year. This makes 2025 so far the worst year ever, and is 40% up on the same period last year One year into Labour’s government and the boats haven’t stopped -

Glad to join the Nest Insight conference Asia House today. According to Financial Conduct Authority survey, 3 in 5 adults report difficulties with financial matters. We must be more proactive & joined up in our schools & unis in businesses, in training and on the Department for Work and Pensions website. Torsten Bell

Britain’s fiscal watchdog Office for Budget Responsibility admits it has been too optimistic about the country’s medium-term growth prospects. To my mind more must be done to tackle #productivity and to do so fast. bloomberg.com/news/articles/…

A delightful man, a great journalist and a lover and supporter of greyhound racing. He will be much missed.

A fascinating perspective by historian #AndrewRoberts ⁦House of Lords⁩ Removing Earl Marshal and the Lord Great Chamberlain is rank ingratitude - UnHerd unherd.com/newsroom/remov…

The jobs tax bites as we predicted during the passage of the legislation ⁦House of Lords⁩ The immediate cost in lost income tax was ignored and our amendments rejected by the Commons - National insurance hike hits hospitality as 69,000 jobs go thetimes.com/article/4005a7…

A wonderful weekend in #Cambridge Punting on the Cam pipped by the skill of the hired gondoliers; the Zoology Museum with this specimen found by Capt Cook ; evensong at #KingsCollegeChapel - the service for retiring choristers ; and the surprise of an efficient bus service.

The delight of Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge! The rehang works better than I expected with some good out of period contrasts. Highlights from Stanley Spencer, Palma Vecchio, William Blake and an amazing room of Albrecht Durer prints.

Good article by George Bridges former Chair of the respected Lords Economic Affairs Committee telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/07/0…

There's a black-hole bombshell buried in today’s OBR report that's very bad news for Rachel Reeves. Their attack on millionaires will mean one thing – tax rises for everyone. The OBR are sending Labour a message: U-turn now or prepare to pay the price. Let's take a look 🧵