Price of cigarettes will NOT rise as Rishi Sunak leaves tobacco duty out of his 2021 Budget

Price of cigarettes will NOT rise as Rishi Sunak leaves tobacco duty out of his 2021 Budget after hiking cost by 22p a pack in November Tobacco duty will rise in line with inflation, Treasury announced earlier today It follows an increase back in November that saw the cost of tobacco rise by 22p  Tobacco … Read more

Budget 2021: Rishi Sunak announces eight new freeports to boost international trade

Rishi Sunak today unveiled the eight sites for the first freeports to be created in England. The Chancellor used the Budget to confirm the locations of the ‘special economic zones’ that were first announced in the Tories’ 2019 election manifesto.  East Midlands Airport, the Suffolk ports of Felixstowe and Harwich, the Humber region in Yorkshire, … Read more

Budget 2021: Rishi Sunak’s VAT and business rates freeze hailed by small companies

Rishi Sunak unveiled a raft of measures aimed at helping small businesses today. The Chancellor targeted high street firms with a business rate holiday extension until June, followed by a two-thirds reduced rate for the rest of the financial year. He also confirmed a freeze of VAT at 5 per cent for hospitality firms until … Read more

Budget 2021: Environmentalists blast Rishi Sunak’s plans for ‘green growth’

The Chancellor announced plans for ‘green growth’ in his Budget today – but they were criticised for being ‘way short’ of the action required to tackle climate change. Rishi Sunak heralded a new national infrastructure bank in Leeds with £12billion to finance a green industrial revolution and £15billion of new green gilts this year.  There … Read more

UK’s tax burden is set to hit highest level since 1960s as Rishi Sunak raises billions

Budget 2021 at a glance Here are the main points of Rishi Sunak’s Budget today: Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) predicts economy will return to pre-Covid levels by the middle of 2022, six months earlier than previously though. OBR forecast economy will grow this year by 4 per cent, by 7.3 per cent in 2022, … Read more

Budget 2021: Homebuyers react to Rishi Sunak’s new mortgage guarantee scheme

Aspiring homebuyers today welcomed the Chancellor  announcement that they will receive extra help to get onto the ladder as he pledged a new mortgage guarantee scheme and an extension of the stamp duty holiday.  Rishi Sunak‘s fresh initiative will incentivise lenders to provide mortgages to first-time buyers as well as current home-owners with just 5 per cent … Read more

Budget 2021: Rishi Sunak unveils £407bn Covid recovery plan for UK economy

Budget 2021 at a glance Here are the main points of Rishi Sunak’s Budget today: Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) predicts economy will return to pre-Covid levels by the middle of 2022, six months earlier than previously though. OBR forecast economy will grow this year by 4 per cent, by 7.3 per cent in 2022, … Read more

Budget 2021: Rishi Sunak freezes alcohol and fuel tax in boost for Covid-weary UK

Cheers to that! Rishi Sunak freezes booze tax for a second year in a row in a boost for Covid-weary Brits and also keeps fuel duty frozen for the tenth successive year Increases in duty on beer, cider, wine and spirits  axed for second year in a row  Tax on a tankful of fuel will … Read more

Budget 2021: FTSE 100 rises 0.8% as Rishi Sunak Covid response plan is announced

London markets cheer on Chancellor’s budget: FTSE rises 0.8% or 53 to 6,667 points as Rishi Sunak unveils more big spending to boost Covid-hit economy FTSE 100 index of UK’s leading companies up 0.8% or 53 points at 6,667 today However it had been up further in early trading in London at 6,703 this morning … Read more

BUDGET 2021 AT A GLANCE: The key points from Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s speech 

BUDGET 2021 AT A GLANCE: The key points from Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s speech By Alex Sebastian For This Is Money Published: 12:40 GMT, 3 March 2021 | Updated: 12:40 GMT, 3 March 2021 Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak got to his feet in the House of Commons shortly after 12.30pm to deliver his crucial … Read more