From the Council to the Commons, Chamber publishes and broadcasts political insight & analysis from around the UK. Partnership with policy institute @CuriaUK.
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David Davis says he predicted Brexit's 52–48 result in a conversation with George Osborne before the referendum.
But he didn't expect David Cameron to resign.
Over a glass of Bordeaux, the former Brexit Secretary tells Abbie Bennington what happened next.
politicsuk.com/p/david-davis…
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Will welfare cuts pay for higher defence spending?
Yesterday’s #Budget leaves that unanswered. The immediate £4.7bn gap is covered by capital budget cuts and reserves. Major welfare reforms and funding for the 2030 defence target await 2027 decisions. Will savings arrive in time?
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Today’s Budget backs healthcare, AI, and UK innovation. Can it turn investment into better care, stronger businesses and growth across the UK?
UK Healthcare and Life Sciences Innovation (UKHLSI) and Curia members can download the full briefing👇
politicsuk.com/p/budget-2026…
(Password has been emailed to members, for more information contact team@curiauk.com or enquiries@ukhlsi.co.uk.
#Budget2026 #Budget
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Scrapping green levies or shifting the bill?
Ahead of today’s #Budget, the Chancellor reportedly plans to move costs into general taxation. Cheaper electricity could support the clean energy transition, but taxpayers still pay. The test for @JohnHealey_MP is protecting investment while cutting bills - can he deliver?
🚨 NEW: John Healey is set to announce the following in his Budget later
- The gas standing charge will be scrapped to save £27 a year on a typical bill
- Green levies on energy bills will be scraped "for good"
- NHS prescription charges will be frozen at £9.90 for another year
- Poorer households on benefits will receive extra help with energy bills before January's sharp rises
- The VAT cut on electricity bills, which was due to expire in April, will be extended (though it's not clear if this will be announced in the Budget or separately)
- The Government will remove the link between gas and electricity prices, which currently inflates household bills, "in the long term"
- Banks will face higher taxes, with the surcharge on their profits potentially rising from 3% to 8%, making it the Budget’s biggest revenue raiser
- HMRC will be given powers to seize money from the bank accounts of people who fail to pay their tax
- The freeze on rail fares will reportedly not be extended beyond April
- Online retailers like Amazon, eBay and Temu will be made responsible for collecting unpaid VAT from sellers to fund a cut in business rates for high street shops
- The thresholds for income tax will be frozen again so another half a million people may be dragged into the higher rate
- January's planned increase in fuel duty will be cancelled
- Pensioners relying solely on the state pension will see their tax-free allowance rise to £13,036, in line with the pension increase, so they don't pay income tax
- Billions in long-term borrowing to invest in defence firms and raise the share of GDP spent on defence (without breaking fiscal rules, as the investments are expected to generate returns)
- The upcoming "Your First Home" scheme will be made more generous to provide greater support for middle-income earners
- The Budget will also assume the Rosebank oil field is approved, which will generate "significant tax revenues"
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Chamber UK retweeted
🚨 WATCH: John Healey says his Budget today will give people "fresh hope" for the future
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Tony Blair’s think tank is urging ministers to approve Rosebank and back further North Sea oil and gas projects.
In February, Chamber UK reported that the Tony Blair Institute @InstituteGC had received £9million from a Saudi source. Given its latest intervention, what was that funding for – and what safeguards ensure its UK energy recommendations remain independent?
Transparency matters when influential organisations seek to shape national policy.
Should @keir_starmer listen to Tony Blair and reprioritise drilling for North Sea oil? The Tony Blair Institute @InstituteGC, which received £9million from the Saudi Government and advises other oil producing governments, has called on the UK Government to lift the ban on new oil and gas licences and cut high taxes on the industry. This echoes comments by @realDonaldTrump who suggested North Sea Oil is a “great asset”.
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How can quantum technologies improve patient care? Curia advisory board meeting - Professor Gillian Leng CBE sets out the case for investment grounded in clinical need and evidence.
You can explore the UK’s quantum opportunity at #QuantumBritain hosted by @UKAIofficial on 2 November.
Read more: politicsuk.com/p/from-scient…
Join us: ukai.co/ai-event-calendar/qu…
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Chancellor, @JohnHealey_MP is expected to raise the minimum wage by around 3.9% in tomorrow’s Budget:
• Ages 21 and over: £12.71 → around £13.20 an hour
• Ages 18–20: £10.85 → around £11.27 an hour
The reported move would slow the faster increases young workers have received in recent years following concerns from business, pausing progress towards Labour’s pledge to equalise adult rates. On those figures, the cash gap would widen slightly, from £1.86 to £1.93 an hour.
Some employers fear higher youth wages could discourage hiring. But the Low Pay Commission said in April it had found no robust evidence that higher youth rates had caused the recent fall in youth employment.
The rates are yet to be confirmed. #Budget2026
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Chancellor @JohnHealey_MP will remove import tariffs on more than 100 products, including marmalade and gherkins, as part of a pre-Budget package to ease the cost of living.
The Government says the changes, combined with existing tariff suspensions, could save households up to £21 a year.
The @Conservatives called the promise of cheaper gherkins “an insult” to families facing higher costs.
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Chamber UK retweeted
Britain can lead in AI. But where should we focus, where should we compete, and what has to change to make it happen?
Those are the questions at the heart of the @UKAIofficial Sovereign AI Summit: Britain’s AI future, in one event, in one day.
The UK’s AI industry is at a turning point. On 2nd November 2026, the Sovereign AI Summit brings together the founders, investors, policymakers and researchers shaping what comes next. With more speakers joining the line-up and new topics on the agenda, there has never been more to talk about.
Across the day, expect honest, practical conversation on the questions that matter most:
🔹 What does “sovereign AI” actually mean for Britain, and who should own it?
🔹 Responsible AI, sustainable infrastructure and where the UK should specialise
🔹 National security, resilience and building coalitions of middle powers
🔹 Investment, procurement and scaling British AI capability
🔹 Skills, regions and reforming education for an AI economy
🔹 Trust, safety and regulation in the age of ASI
🔹 AND: Quantum Britain, how the next layer of the UK’s technology stack is already being decided.
Then, in the evening we celebrate the best of the sector at the Sovereign AI Awards, recognising the organisations and people shaping Britain’s AI story.
More speakers. More topics. One day. Every part of the debate.
⏳ Just 7 days to go.
👉 Sign up now to secure your place: ukai.co/ai-event-calendar/so…
#SovereignAI #UKAI #ResponsibleAI #SustainableAI #FairAI #TrustworthyAI #QuantumBritain #SovereignAIAwards
@ChamberVoice @PolitlcsUK @Curia_uk
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£600m+ for AI biosecurity, cyber defence, UK firms, chip design and adoption. Pre-Budget analysis asks how funding will reach businesses and public services. @UKAIofficial says delivery and detail on spending matter.
politicsuk.com/p/budget-ai-p…
Join UKAI at The Oval on 2 November: Sovereign AI Summit ukai.co/ai-event-calendar/so… | Quantum Britain ukai.co/ai-event-calendar/qu…
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In 2024, Labour won 411 seats with just 33.7% of the vote.
In Wales in 2026, proportional representation left Labour with nine seats despite a historic collapse in support.
Does first-past-the-post still serve Labour's interests?
Read our latest analysis:
politicsuk.com/p/majority-or…
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Can @andyburnham end rough sleeping by Christmas?
Ahead of today’s Downing Street summit, funding is set to double to £874m. Ministers promise every rough sleeper in England a route off the streets - but questions remain over whether enough accommodation will be available.
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Treasury Spokesperson for @reformparty_uk, @RobertJenrick criticises a return to EU freedom of movement, arguing it would undercut wages, and increase pressure on housing and public services.
On welfare, he tells #bbclaurak removing benefits from non-British citizens could leave legal residents worse off, saying the government should “put British people first”.
Pressed on whether tighter disability benefit rules could push British citizens into poverty, he insists a safety net would remain for those in need.
He says Reform would use welfare savings to cut taxes for workers, reduce energy bills and prevent a fuel duty rise.
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“Whether it’s immigration or asylum, we now have the worst of both worlds.”
Speaking to #bbclaurak, @LibDems Economy Spokesperson, @libdemdaisy backs a return to freedom of movement as part of closer EU ties, arguing that joining the single market and customs union would cut business red tape, attract investment and create jobs.
She says Brexit has left the UK with the “worst of both worlds”, calling for a defence pact and participation in the EU’s asylum pact to strengthen cooperation on small boat crossings.
Ahead of the #Budget, she calls for emergency “breathing space”: lower energy bills, cheaper petrol and public transport, and a VAT cut for hospitality.
On pensions, Cooper says the triple lock has not yet finished its job in tackling poverty, but rejects keeping it forever without review. She gives no end date, arguing changes must be supported by evidence.
Despite internal disagreements, she backs Sir @EdwardJDavey to lead the party into the next general election.
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“We want to ensure the relationship we have with Europe is the best for Britain”.
Housing & Communities Secretary, @AngelaRayner speaks to #bbclaurak:
🇪🇺 🇬🇧 Brexit: Rayner defended @andyburnham’s call for an “honest conversation” about the UK’s future EU relationship, arguing that businesses need fewer trade barriers. Pressed repeatedly on freedom of movement, she said nothing should be taken off the table in discussions about the future, while maintaining that @UKLabour would honour its current manifesto commitments. She suggested future proposals could be put to voters at the next general election.
💷 Budget: With households and businesses facing rising costs, she pointed to energy support, measures to help young people into employment, and investment intended to stimulate growth. However, repeated questions about a specific spending cut introduced since Burnham entered Downing Street did not produce a clear example. She instead cited service transformation, fiscal rules, and the IMF’s assessment of deficit reduction plans.
🏗️ Regional growth: She announced £285m for local leaders, arguing that it would attract private investment and support infrastructure. Challenged that this amounted to approximately £4.86 per person, she said its impact should also be judged by the additional investment it could unlock.
🏠 Leasehold: She reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to ending the leasehold system, with legislation “hopefully before the end of this year”. But she stopped short of giving an unequivocal guarantee that lease extension costs would fall, pointing instead to forthcoming measures on ground rents, service charges and unfair costs.
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The ITV exposé of Reform UK raises a bigger question: what happens when political dog whistles stop working?
@MHBennington examines Nigel Farage's options, Kemi Badenoch's strategy and the influence of social media on British politics.
politicsuk.com/p/mask-off-ni…
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UK unveils a £600m AI investment package ahead of the #Budget.
@JohnHealey_MP has also announced the UK will invest £100m in a “world-first” AI Biosecurity Lab to detect biological threats and accelerate vaccine development.
AI Minister @KanishkaNarayan says it will bring together “world-leading scientific expertise to protect people from emerging biological threats”.
A spokesperson for the AI trade association in the UK said “@UKAIofficial welcomes this investment in strengthening the UK’s AI capabilities and protecting against emerging threats. Our members now need clarity on when the funding will become available, how it will be allocated and how UK businesses can participate. A clear delivery timetable and accessible routes to funding and procurement will help turn this announcement into opportunities for UK AI companies.”
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