BUSINESS TAX: Business will have tax deductions for investment made permanent, cutting companies’ tax bills by £250,000 for every £1 million invested, one of the biggest tax cuts for business in history.
Tax relief for freeports and investment zones is to be extended from five to 10 years and three more investment zones are to be introduced in the West Midlands, the East Midlands and Greater Manchester.
LIVING WAGE: The living wage is to be increased to £11.44 an hour, a rise of about 10 per cent.
The 2025 Budget shores up the PM’s political position with headline-grabbing welfare U-turns, but with no improvements on offer to declining public services or living standards, writes MICHAEL BURKE
Under current policy, welfare cuts are just a small downpayment on future austerity, argues MICHAEL BURKE



