Keir Starmer has clarified his definition of “working people” ahead of the budget, stating that not all owners of stocks and shares fall outside this category, Downing Street confirmed. The government has been pressed to define this term in order to determine which taxes may rise in the upcoming budget. Meanwhile, Downing Street has rejected a ban on outdoor smoking in the Tobacco and Vapes bill, citing lack of evidence that it harms non-smokers.
In other news, Rachel Reeves plans to reverse cuts in public investment in her budget by overhauling fiscal rules to release up to £50bn for infrastructure spending. The UK’s private healthcare market reached a record £12.4bn last year due to NHS waiting lists, while a group with ties to the Conservative party has become a forum for Britain’s far right.
Additionally, businesses importing critical minerals to the UK will receive state-backed loans to counter China’s dominance in the market. The Commonwealth summit in Samoa saw Keir Starmer confronting calls for reparations for the UK’s historical role in the slave trade, emphasizing the need to acknowledge shared history and to focus on a future not overshadowed by the past. The UK remains open to discussing non-cash forms of reparatory justice at the summit.
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