Good morning. David Lammy will get his first outing at PMQs today as deputy prime minister, because Keir Starmer is off to the Cop30 climate conference in Brazil. That means he will have the job of dealing with all the questions raised by Rachel Reeves’s speech yesterday that came close to confirming income tax will rise in the budget.
While there is considerable controversy about what measures the budget should contain, in an unusual developments leftwing and rightwing thinktanks have joined up to say that the structure of the tax system needs to be reformed. Olivia Konotey-Ahulu has the story.
The initiative has been led by the Centre for the Analysis of Taxation (CenTax), a thinktank. Its director, Arun Advani, says:
The UK’s tax code is riddled with inconsistencies and distortions that discourage investment, penalise work and hold back productivity. There is widespread agreement on the need for proper reform. The upcoming Budget is an opportunity for the chancellor to look at the taxsystem as a whole, and ensure that whatever the total tax take, any changes are also serving her growth mission.
Two important reports have been published overnight. As Richard Partington reports, the Keep Britain Working review says businesses need to play a more central role in reducing health-related worklessness.
And, as Richard Adams reports, a review of England’s curriculum has recommended reducing the amount of content and emphasis on exams and instead focusing more on life skills and “enrichment”.
I will be covering reaction to both of those.
Here is the agenda for the day.
Morning: Kemi Badenoch is on a visit in north-east Scotland with Russell Findlay, the Scottish Conservative leader.
Noon: David Lammy, the deputy PM, takes PMQs for the first time, because Keir Starmer is travelling to the Cop30 climate conference in Brazil. The Tories have said yet who will deputise for Badenoch.
After 12.30pm: MPs debate the employment rights bill, with the government planning to vote down amendments to the bill passed by the Lords last week. It is the latest round of “ping pong” before the bill clears parliament.
5.30pm: Richard Tice, the Reform UK deputy leader, gives a speech covering the party’s plans to reduce the cost of public sector pensions.
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