Budget 2026: key points at a glance
John Healey starts by saying that his budget is “delivered at a time when global uncertainties and pressures are swirling worldwide and hitting people here at home”.
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‘Elonville’: US residents say Musk’s xAI offered to buy homes if they don’t sue over datacenter noise
Several Mississippi homes have been purchased near datacenters and one resident said realtor outlined target to buy more than 400
Budget 2026 live: Healey delivers first budget of Burnham’s government
Martin Lewis said that, when he met John Healey this morning, the chancellor said that, having removed standing charges from gas bills, he would also like to get rid of them from electricity bills. Lewis said:
Fed set to hold interest rates steady in last decision before midterms
US central bank last month raised rates for first time since 2023, in move that infuriated Donald Trump
'Government to decide who to help and who picks up the tab'
Helen Miller, director at the Institute for Fiscal Studies, speaks to the Today programme about challenges in the budget.
What is in the iconic red box?
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What do you want from the Budget?
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Octopus Energy boss on standing charges
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Stormont ministers set to find out Budget allocation
Stormont ministers will find out later how much extra money they will have to spend as a result of the Westminster Budget.
What do people in the South want from the Budget?
For small businesses hit by soaring fuel prices, and first-time buyers struggling to get on the housing ladder, there is a lot riding on it.
RBNZ unexpectedly holds rates at 2.75% in split vote, signals further hikes likely
Oil sits at the centre of the call: the RBNZ expects fuel to lift inflation to 4.4% in the December quarter, but the majority chose to look through the direct effects for now, betting that weak demand will limit pass-th…
Plan for multibillion-pound Sizewell nuclear plant a ‘terrible deal’ for UK taxpayers, MPs say
The public accounts committee has said the risk to billpayers is ‘extraordinary’
Homes across UK to get low- or no-interest loans to fund solar panels and heat pumps
Government-backed Warm Home Loans scheme to help households cut energy bills by hundreds of pounds
Bottled water and tinned food sales surge after UK government issues emergency stockpile advice
Retailers also report jump in purchases of wind-up radios and torches to deal with extreme weather and cyber-attacks
Budget 2026: six charts that reveal the economic realities facing the chancellor
From tackling the youth jobs crisis to repairing Brexit’s economic damage, John Healey has his work cut out for him
‘Meaningless as a laptop screensaver’: reviewers slate Musk’s AI-made Odyssey film
Elon Musk has released an AI-generated rival to Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey after pledging to make a version “true to the art of Homer”.
Iran’s Supreme Leader reiterates conditions for peace talks with U.S.
Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed Iran with US envoy Steve Witkoff on Wednesday and offered Moscow’s help, shortly after Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov visited Tehran as Russia seeks a role in efforts to end th…
Kylian Mbappé apologises after being dropped by Chinese brands for Mao Zedong comment
Kylian Mbappé has apologised after the Real Madrid forward was dropped by major Chinese brands for apparently joking about Mao Zedong in a video that has gone viral. There were also signs of broader repercussions, with …
Bullseye Financial Ltd enters administration
On 23 October 2026, Bullseye Financial Ltd (Bullseye Financial) entered administration. Robert Young of Azets Holdings Limited and Matthew Haw of RSM UK Restructuring Advisory LLP were appointed as joint administrators.
‘No one saves the planet if it hits their pocket’: UK heat pump installers fear planned subsidy cuts
Boiler upgrade scheme, which provides grants of up to £9,000 for sustainable alternatives, expected to be slashed in budget
Number of UK businesses in financial distress ‘at two-decade high’
Administrator BTG says 738,144 firms struggling as calls grow for more support for private sector in budget
UK officials discussing options including free movement with EU ahead of summit
Business secretary says focus for November summit will be trade and youth mobility, but talks will also include ‘future options for relationship’
Anthropic IPO filing in focus; Boeing to report - what’s moving markets
Futures on the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI) and Nasdaq-100 Index (NDX) are climbing triple digits, as investors turn their focus to a fresh batch of earnings and today's start of the Federal Reserve's two-day meet…