Healey’s Budget needs to sustain the stronger economy through gathering clouds
There have been almost no Budget leaks.The chancellor's aides are using intelligence-style security measures to guard its secrets: the Budget has been split into "compartments" with very few given access…
Data centre debate heats up ahead of US midterms – here’s what you need to know
ByDaniel Thomas and the Visual Journalism TeamUntil a few years ago many of us may have been blissfully unaware of what a data centre was.These giant, warehouse-like buildings power virtually all our…
Teesdale residents say heating oil price ‘more than double’ last year
Households in Upper Teesdale are preparing for winter with the cost of heating oil "more than double" what it was compared to this time last year.With no mains gas supply…
How families are cutting the cost of Halloween as spending grows
Halloween has become one of the UK's biggest seasonal celebrations, with spending on costumes, decorations and themed events continuing to grow.As a mum, I have already found myself buying three…
Firms in Devon ‘holding back’ on new jobs ahead of Budget
Image caption, Michelle Bunker from WGP wants to see a reduction in employer's National Insurance contributionsByMiles DavisDevon political reporterImage caption, Tim Randell from Links Publishing wants to see a reduction…
Private Parking Code of Practice: Will it end ‘rip-off’ charges?
"I was completely on edge, every single day," said Rosey Greenwood. "I had letters coming through - I had debt collectors after me."Two years ago, Rosey was being told to…
Budget 2026: No more fat to trim for ‘squeezed middle’
As Chancellor John Healey puts the final touches to his first Budget, how are the "squeezed middle" feeling after years of cost-of-living pressure? Dawn Fazackerley-King is trying to work out…
Four ways Labour could raise money in the Budget without hiking income tax
ByBen ChuPolicy and analysis correspondentWe're likely to hear a lot about the chancellor's "headroom" in this Budget.That is the cash buffer the government has to help meet its own fiscal…
Are California voters about to impose ‘world’s first’ tax on billionaires?
Image source, ReutersBySareen HabeshianLos AngelesFew places on the planet have as many ultra-wealthy residents as California, a US state known for glamour, coastal mega-mansions, and being home to the rich…
