Labour donor quits Treasury role amid ‘cronyism’ claims Ian Corfield resigns as official to Rachel Reeves as ministers deny giving preferential treatment to funders
Unite calls for 1% wealth tax on super-rich to fund UK public sector pay rises The demand from Britain’s second biggest union will test truce with Labour at next month’s TUC conference
It’s August 2024 – and our world is at a turning point. Here’s what we should do now I see looming political and environmental threats – and too few willing to address them. Where is the urgency, asks former UK prime minister Gordon Brown
‘No blank cheques’: Rachel Reeves defends pay deals with unions Chancellor rebuts Tory accusation she will be a soft touch and hints at tweak to debt rule to allow more borrowing
Reeves can point to ONS public finances report as cover for a harsh budget October review is expected to be eye-wateringly severe, but chancellor will draw on official data to make her case
UK government borrowing hits higher than expected £3.1bn in July Figures come amid row between Labour and Conservatives over true state of public finances
Rachel Reeves planning to raise taxes and cut spending in October budget Chancellor insists she still has large black hole to fill despite stronger than expected growth in first half of 2024
Labour’s autumn budget must reverse ‘decade of decline’ in UK infrastructure Economy held back by ailing transport network, with poor roads adding to logistics costs, say manufacturers
GDP growth is strong but it masks UK plc’s deep-seated structural problems Rachel Reeves must show how the Tories failed to tackle longstanding productivity, investment and trade deficits and stress how Labour can
Labour is fast discovering that Britain needs more than a Band-Aid to restore it to health The country faces grave and deep-seated problems that only bold – and expensive – policies can address
The Observer view on growth: Labour must be prepared to spend Public sector pay rises are vital, but raising the revenue to pay for them will be difficult unless fiscally conservative policies are lifted
‘A big ask’: can Labour fix Britain using modern supply-side economics? Turning to a theory championed by the US Treasury secretary, Reeves aims to upskill the workforce while boosting productivity
RBA downplays role of government spending in stoking inflation Governor Michele Bullock cites consumer spending and China’s slowdown as bigger influences on Australia’s economic trajectory
The Guardian view on Scottish politics today: the SNP is down but it is definitely not out Editorial: Labour commands the field, but its general election success is unlikely to be repeated in the 2026 Holyrood contest
UK economy continues recovery from recession with GDP growth of 0.6% ONS data shows strong performance in second quarter with the service sector helping drive growth