UK needs billions in buffer to end tax hikes


Fiscal deliberation: Commuters walk across London Bridge in central London. The November UK budget is set to be a defining moment for the government. — AFP

LONDON: Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves needs to raise her fiscal buffer fivefold to have a better-than-even chance of avoiding more tax rises and spending cuts in the coming years, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS).

Reeves may need to find as much as £22bil (US$29.4bil) at the budget next month just to restore the razor-thin £9.9bil margin she had in March, the influential think tank said in an report. 

Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!

Next In Business News

Stocks, dollar take tariff hit; gold gets safety bid
Malaysian economy to stay resilient in 2026 on FDI, robust infrastructure investment- HSBC�
FBM KLCI slips as traders turn cautious on growing geopolitical tension
Bursa Malaysia suspends short-selling of SMRT due to price limit breach
SMRT's share price dives on sharp earnings downgrade
MAHB 2025 passenger traffic reaches 15.53mil as VM2026 kicks off
China's Q4 GDP growth slows to 3-year low, full-year pace meets official target
World markets jolted, dollar dips as Trump vows tariffs on Europe over Greenland
Oil prices steady as ebbing Iranian protests lower chance of US attack
Foreign funds log second straight week of net inflows of RM716.1mil

Others Also Read