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LONDON, Nov 12 (Reuters) - British finance minister John Healey said on Thursday the government would pursue closer cooperation with the European Union at next week's UK-EU summit in areas where the benefits to businesses and consumers outweighed the costs.

<p>Ahead of a meeting with Commonwealth leaders, Andy Burnham wrote that Britain needed to ‘acknowledge its complicated history’</p><p>At the end of his interview with Kuennsberg, Healey was also asked to comment on a potential apology for Britain’s near-250 years of perpetrating the slave trade and why the government should or shouldn’t pay reparations to e

The Chancellor has suggested that younger workers might not receive the same minimum wage as others before the next election.

<p>UK chancellor’s plans add to concerns government is moving away from pro-renewables agenda</p><p>John Healey has said he will veto new offshore wind projects if they will not lower bills, adding to concerns that the government is moving away from the pro-renewables agenda.</p><p>Announcing his plans, the chancellor said clean power is “how we break the gr

<p>Ex-energy secretary Ed Miliband’s agenda appears undermined as money is diverted from renewables to defence</p><p>Britain is unlikely to hit its targets on green heating after the cuts announced by John Healey this week, experts have warned, as critics of Ed Miliband claim the former energy secretary’s green agenda is being dismantled.</p><p>The chancello

<p>Experts round on chancellor over ‘scattergun’ budget, saying he ducked big tax and spending decisions</p><p>John Healey has backed away from cutting the cost of welfare this parliament, amid dire warnings his first budget could lead to brutal spending cuts because of a £28bn shortfall in public finances.</p><p>Experts rounded on Healey’s steady-as-she-goe

<p>Treasury select committee asks FCA to investigate whether tax surcharge leak led to ‘improper release of inside information’</p><p></p><p>John Healey is facing pressure to clarify whether he permitted a market-sensitive budget leak before his statement, which moved bank share prices.</p><p>The chair of the influential Commons Treasury select committe, Meg

<p>Chancellor’s comments come as fiscal watchdog says disability benefits will cost £100bn a year before end of decade</p><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/live/2026/oct/29/healeys-cost-living-support-package-badly-targeted-resolution-foundation-shell-oil-profit-latest-live-updates">Business live – latest updates</a></p></li></ul><p>Jo

<p>Chancellor’s ‘new course’ includes a £100 one-off payment, low-carbon upgrade loans and an end to standing charges</p><p>John Healey has unveiled a package of support for households being buffeted by “global economic storms”.</p><p>“I’m setting a new course to get energy costs down in line with Europe,” the chancellor said in his maiden budget. In the lon

Thursday's papers focus entirely on John Healey's first Budget that included £100 for energy bills and a bank tax.

<p>Few surprises as chancellor uses low-key speech blaming ‘global economic storms’ for stoking energy prices and cost of living crisis</p><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/oct/28/budget-2026-key-points-john-healey">Budget 2026: key points at a glance</a></p></li><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/money/2026/oct/28/budget-

The chancellor targets the cost of living amid global economic turmoil but opposition parties say he has not been bold enough.

<p>John Healey has delivered a ‘steady as she goes’ budget, with help for the cost of living a big theme. The chancellor promised a £100 energy payment for some households, extended the VAT suspension on electricity bills to next July and confirmed the scrapping of gas standing charges.</p><p>But after months of the same old message of ‘hope in difficult tim

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The chancellor talked of charting a new course for Britain, but the impact of Iran war has limited his options.

The reduction in public spending will go towards paying for the Defence Investment Plan.

<p>Amid global economic storms, the new chancellor has promised to steer the course – with promises of more help to come. Will it be enough?</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/oct/28/john-healey-breathing-space-budget-panel-responds">Continue reading...</a>

<p>Tax policy means freezes reduce take-home pay as earnings rise in line with inflation</p><p>Income tax thresholds are set to remain frozen after John Healey’s first budget as chancellor.</p><p>One of the biggest tax rises in recent years has happened without a change in the rates at which people are taxed on their incomes. Instead it has come from success

Chancellor opts for limited household relief as fiscal watchdog warns of ‘pretty grim’ picture for living standards

<p>OBR cautions about Middle East war dragging down growth and triggering a fresh cost of living crisis</p><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/oct/28/budget-2026-john-healey-offers-100-payment-to-households-to-help-navigate-global-economic-storms">Healey offers £100 payment to households to help navigate ‘global economic storms’</a><

JPMorgan Chase will pay additional taxes of between £100m and £150m as a result of the corporation tax surcharge hike announced by John Healey in his budget on Wednesday - a bill which could renew doubts about the construction of its new London headquarters.

Britain's chancellor unveils first budget of the Andy Burnham era — as watchdog reveals decade-long pressure on living standards.

Delivering Burnham-led administration’s first budget, chancellor hiked taxes on banks to pay for energy bill cuts

<p>Payments to 20m homes part of package to cut energy bills and ease cost of living crisis, paid for by bank windfall tax</p><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/oct/28/obr-slashes-uk-growth-forecast-for-2027-despite-healey-budget-measures">‘A pretty grim picture’: outlook for UK living standards slashed despite Healey’s budget</a><

Move to close a loophole brings Britain closer to approaches adopted in Switzerland.

<p>Chancellor’s predecessor Rachel Reeves had planned to reduce allowance from £20,000 to £12,000 a year from April </p><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/live/2026/oct/28/john-healey-budget-standing-charges-gas-city-bonds-pound-latest-news-updates">Business live – latest updates</a></p></li><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/u

<p>Chancellor says he will ask Ofgem to remove ‘unfair and outdated’ fixed daily fee, and is also reportedly looking to scrap it from electricity bills</p><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/live/2026/oct/28/budget-2026-latest-updates-john-healey-andy-burnham-labour-uk-politics">Budget 2026 live – latest updates</a></p></li><li><p><a href

<p>Struggling households, new homebuyers and small shops stand to gain, while banks and online marketplaces could face higher levies</p><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/ng-interactive/2026/oct/22/uk-budget-game-2026-john-healey-labour-andy-burnham">You be the chancellor: play our budget game to see if you can balance the books</a></p><

The chancellor’s first priority in the Budget is to make the UK look prudent again

Chancellor will use Wednesday’s Budget to maintain tax-free limit at £20,000 a year, reversing plan by predecessor Rachel Reeves

Chancellor to pledge extra support for businesses, entrepreneurs and households during ‘difficult moment’

The Chancellor is due to deliver his first Budget.

The Conservatives doubt whether women and girls will feel safer as a result of the funding.

What the POLITICO newsroom will be scouring for as Britain's top finance minister unveils his first budget.

John Healey delivers his first U.K. Budget with less fiscal room, higher spending pressures and bond investors pushing for less borrowing and more growth.

<p>Retirees will get a personal allowance aligned with the new state pension, but experts say it could get complicated</p><p>Retirees in the UK on low incomes are expected to be given a new personal allowance so that they do not have to hand any of their state pension to HMRC.</p><p>The full details are due to be revealed by the chancellor, John Healey, in W

By one measure, John Healey’s budget has already been a success. He has avoided the paralysis that hit the UK before his predecessor Rachel Reeves delivered her tax and spending plans in November 2025. That budget had such an agonisingly long build-up that a combination of speculation and leaks caused jitters in financial markets, property transactions groun

Changes are needed to prevent the full, flat-rate state pension becoming liable for income tax after it rises in April.

The economic is positive now but come January things could become trickier for the Labour government

<p>Chancellor was said to be worried about market-sensitive leaks, yet significant policies have been heavily trailed in the media</p><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/ng-interactive/2026/oct/22/uk-budget-game-2026-john-healey-labour-andy-burnham">You be the chancellor: play our budget game to see if you can balance the books</a></p></l

<p>Chancellor will build on Burnham’s promise that local leaders in England will no longer have to ‘come cap in hand to Westminster’</p><p>Andy Burnham has promised that local leaders in England will no longer have to come “cap in hand to Westminster” ahead of a fresh drive to devolve spending power in next week’s budget.</p><p>In his statement on Wednesday,

The full feasibility study will look in detail at how hosting the Games in northern England could work.

<p>The chancellor has promised ‘breathing space’ for households and small businesses but global events cannot be ignored</p><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/ng-interactive/2026/oct/22/uk-budget-game-2026-john-healey-labour-andy-burnham">You be the chancellor: play our budget game to see if you can balance the books</a></p></li></ul><p>

The softly-spoken former defence secretary is gearing up for the biggest moment of his long political career.

<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/picture/2026/oct/16/martin-rowson-john-healey-first-budget-cartoon">Continue reading...</a>