Labour MP and chair of the work and pensions committee Stephen Timms has joined calls for increases in benefits, including ending a freeze on Local Housing Allowance in the Autumn Statement this week.

Following the release of Department for Transport figures showing passenger numbers hitting 100% of pre Covid levels, Chief Executive of the Railway Industry Association, Darren Caplan, sets out why we need to expand the capacity of the UK rail network.

In 2017, as a foreign office minister, I proposed 3 Commando Brigade should protect the key port of Hudaydah in Yemen under a UN mandate, allowing its huge port cranes to offload vital aid for the millions caught up in the civil war.

Rishi Sunak has made it through Budget week without a major hitch, continuing his recent momentum and boosting hopes among Conservative MPs that he is starting to drag his party back to a position where it has a fighting chance at the next General Election.

This budget took place against a bleak backdrop: The forecast from the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) showed a worsening cost of living crisis with real wages falling at the fastest rate since records began.

One of the UK's leading independent economic research units, the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has issued its verdict on key elements of Jeremy Hunt's Spring Budget: tax, childcare, and health related benefits.

Eddie Tuttle, Director of policy, external affairs and research at CIOB said:

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt's Budget appears to have maintained unity within the Conservative party, with few signs of dissent in the early reactions to Wednesday's Spring Budget announcement from Tory backbenchers.

Responding to today’s Spring Budget, RIA Chief Executive, Darren Caplan, said:

Rishi Sunak is refusing to take up a previous Conservative party policy of reducing net migration to the tens of thousands after many failed attempts by Tory governments to deliver it.

Alex Taylor, Head of Policy at the Institution of Engineering and Technology, said: “The Chancellor has set out his ambition to drive economic growth, skills and jobs in the UK.

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has said the UK is not entering a "technical recession" as he delivered his Spring Budget to MPs in the House of Commons on Wednesday.

Major childcare support is set to be announced by the government today as Jeremy Hunt attempts to tackle the UK’s poor economic growth and economic inactivity in his Budget.

Changes to the Energy Profits Levy that would introduce a “price floor” for the windfall tax have been under consideration in the Treasury, following concerns investment in the North Sea is at risk, PoliticsHome understands.

When you imagine energy-intensive businesses, there are obvious examples that spring to mind. Images abound of grand factories and industrial towns, steel producers and mass manufacturers.

Ahead of the Spring budget next week, the Institution of Engineering and Technology has called for greater flexibility in the apprenticeship levy to allow employers to develop digital skills and unlock the UK's potential in new technology.

Labour has called for a more dynamic approach to tackling the UK’s economic inactivity issues by tailoring employment support at a local level and expanding the accessibility of Job Centre support.

The government is expected to bring in powers to remove asylum seekers who arrive in small boats from the UK and implement a lifetime ban on them returning or claiming British citizenship.

With rail passenger numbers approaching pre-Covid levels, the Railway Industry Association sets out six ‘asks’ of the UK
Government, ahead of the Spring Budget on 15 March.

Don’t expect any major surprises in next week’s Budget, writes PoliticsHome reporter John Johnston – but expect a scrap over tax.

Unless traipsing through the remotest parts of far-flung constituencies, and perhaps even then, you’re never too far from a welcoming pub or restaurant that’ll serve you food and drink, or a venue that’ll provide entertainment and a warm space to relax.