Business gets a boost with 25% cap on corporation tax
The Independent|October 15, 2024
Rachel Reeves announced her fourth big tax freeze yesterday, pledging to cap corporation tax at 25 per cent for the lifetime of this parliament as she made a bold offer to the world’s largest businesses to invest in Britain.
DAVID MADDOX
Business gets a boost with 25% cap on corporation tax

It leaves her with little space to manoeuvre in this month’s Budget, having already promised not to raise income tax, VAT, or employee contributions on national insurance. And it will increase speculation that she will try to fill a £25bn gap in her spending commitments by raising wealth taxes such as capital gains and inheritance, or employer national insurance contributions.

The corporation tax announcement came as she and Sir Keir Starmer led the charge to bring in billions in investment and attempted to calm fears about the Budget on 30 October and the recent row over workers’ rights while drawing a line under the “pain of Brexit”.

The summit saw DP World restore its plans for a £1bn investment in the London Gateway port expansion project after withdrawing over the weekend. Other announcements included:

  • A £1.1bn investment by Manchester Airports Group to expand Stansted

  • £6.3bn worth of investment in data centres by CyrusOne, ServiceNow, cloudHQ and CoreWeave

  • Ports operator ABP committing more than £200m to a joint investment with Stena Line for a new freight terminal at Immingham

  • A £150m investment by Imperial College London in a new research and development campus

  • Confirmation of £24bn worth of clean energy investment, which was signalled last week in the build-up to the summit

As both the prime minister and the chancellor pledged that the EU reset would amount to a reset with business, too, they came under pressure again from Labour London mayor Sadiq Khan, speaking at the International Investment Summit at the Guildhall in the City of London, to consider rejoining the single market.

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FLERE HISTORIER FRA THE INDEPENDENTSe alt
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The Independent

Tuchel left with big calls to make after Carsley refresh

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The Independent

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Wales promoted as Cullen double freezes out Iceland
The Independent

Wales promoted as Cullen double freezes out Iceland

Wales won Nations League promotion as Liam Cullen’s first two international goals helped them to a 4-1 victory over Iceland.

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2 mins  |
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The Independent

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It’s not just British farmers who are hacked off by the latest Budget some of the biggest names in retail have now joined forces to send one of those angry, multi-signature letters to the chancellor, scolding her for the imminent tax hikes coming their way.

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Jaguar pounces on new logo
The Independent

Jaguar pounces on new logo

Car giant Jaguar has unveiled a new logo and a rebranded range of electric cars alongside marketing slogans such as “delete ordinary,” “live vivid,” and “copy nothing.”

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OF UNSOUND MIND
The Independent

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A disquieting mood permeates the BBC's 'The Listeners', the complex story of a teacher whose life unravels after she starts hearing a ceaseless, mysterious hum, writes Nick Hilton

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It's grit over gloss in photo show's eye on the Eighties
The Independent

It's grit over gloss in photo show's eye on the Eighties

Protest, poverty and privilege - The 80s: Photographing Britain at Tate Britain offers an exciting, if partial, view of a decade that remains highly polarising, writes Mark Hudson

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Publicly-owned rail may not get us back on right track
The Independent

Publicly-owned rail may not get us back on right track

Nationalisation is often touted as a golden ticket to a better train service. Simon Calder is less optimistic it will work

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The Independent

CAFFEINE FIX

Why does a squirt of syrup in your coffee at Christmas burn such a massive hole in your wallet? Olivia Petter finds out.

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Longing and loss: our era of British cinematic elegance
The Independent

Longing and loss: our era of British cinematic elegance

It is four decades since A Room with a View’ made Merchant Ivory a household name. Sarah Sands recalls a world in which her brother Kit and her then husband Julian were central

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