Richard Partington
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Richard Partington
@rjpartington.bsky.social
Guardian Senior Economics Correspondent
UK unemployment rises to highest level in four years before budget

www.theguardian.com/business/202...
UK unemployment rises to highest level in four years before budget
ONS finds worsening slowdown in the jobs market, as HMRC reports falling number of workers on firms’ payrolls
www.theguardian.com
November 11, 2025 at 7:07 AM
The bond market is wrong. Reeves should not cut welfare to placate the City

- my comment in today's @theguardian.com: www.theguardian.com/business/202...
The bond market is wrong. Reeves should not cut welfare to placate the City | Richard Partington
Keeping the markets on side is the chancellor’s priority but it’s not an easy task given their simplistic, misplaced views on welfare cuts
www.theguardian.com
November 10, 2025 at 9:58 AM
‘A job is like finding a needle in a haystack’: how Dudley became centre of UK’s youth jobs crisis -

My feature from the Black Country in today’s @theguardian.com on how Rachel Reeves’s Budget must tackle rising youth unemployment

www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
‘A job is like finding a needle in a haystack’: how Dudley became centre of UK’s youth jobs crisis
Almost one in five school-leavers in West Midlands town are not in education, employment or training and chancellor is under pressure to deliver promised ‘youth guarantee’
www.theguardian.com
November 8, 2025 at 12:39 PM
Reposted by Richard Partington
Late to this but I really enjoyed talking with my old colleague Richard on how Brexit and the City has contributed to the UK's productivity problem:
‘The money machine is misfiring’: City blames Brexit for UK’s £20bn productivity headache

How Brexit hit the London and UK finance exports - landing Rachel Reeves with her bigger-than-forecast budget spending gap

www.theguardian.com/business/202...
‘The money machine is misfiring’: City blames Brexit for UK’s £20bn productivity headache
Poor output since the leave vote has landed Rachel Reeves with a bigger-than-forecast budget spending gap
www.theguardian.com
November 6, 2025 at 1:35 PM
Bank of England holds interest rates at 4% ahead of make-or-break budget www.theguardian.com/business/202...
Bank of England holds interest rates at 4% ahead of make-or-break budget
Borrowing costs kept unchanged for second meeting in a row, with inflation at nearly twice official target
www.theguardian.com
November 6, 2025 at 12:17 PM
Fixing Britain’s health-driven worklessness crisis will require employers to increase spending on workplace health to £6bn a year - landmark Mayfield review recommends:

www.theguardian.com/business/202...
Fixing Britain’s worklessness crisis will cost employers £6bn a year, report says
The Keep Britain Working review, created to tackle the rising tide of ill health pushing millions out of work, reported its findings ahead of this month’s budget
www.theguardian.com
November 5, 2025 at 8:59 AM
‘The money machine is misfiring’: City blames Brexit for UK’s £20bn productivity headache

How Brexit hit the London and UK finance exports - landing Rachel Reeves with her bigger-than-forecast budget spending gap

www.theguardian.com/business/202...
‘The money machine is misfiring’: City blames Brexit for UK’s £20bn productivity headache
Poor output since the leave vote has landed Rachel Reeves with a bigger-than-forecast budget spending gap
www.theguardian.com
October 31, 2025 at 3:05 PM
Right to buy in reverse: how Brighton is tackling its social housing crisis - my column in today's @theguardian.com on how the seaside council aims to turn the tide:

www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
Right to buy in reverse: how Brighton is tackling its social housing crisis | Richard Partington
The council is rolling back Thatcher’s flagship policy by buying stock from private landlords. Other local authorities should take note
www.theguardian.com
October 27, 2025 at 10:17 AM
Rachel Reeves should consider welfare cuts in budget, IFS says

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
Rachel Reeves should consider welfare cuts in budget, IFS says
Thinktank urges chancellor to take ‘bold’ action on benefits and pensions to placate jittery financial markets
www.theguardian.com
October 16, 2025 at 7:49 AM
Reposted by Richard Partington
Just had a chat with Rachel Reeves in Washington. She:
- says taxes on wealthy will feature in budget
- wants UK bond yields back in line with rest of G7
- says OBR should have revised forecasts earlier
- promises continued investment, no return to austerity
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Rachel Reeves says higher taxes on wealthy ‘part of the story’ for November budget
Chancellor hints at rises and calls out past ‘scaremongering’ over VAT on private schools and changes to non-doms
www.theguardian.com
October 15, 2025 at 6:26 PM
Exclusive: Labour considering charging workers for employment tribunal claims, sources say - a potential big concession as businesses lobby to water down the employment rights bill

“The unions will go bananas"

www.theguardian.com/money/2025/o...
Labour considering charging workers for employment tribunal claims, sources say
Exclusive: Reintroducing tribunal fees would be ‘a gift for bad bosses’, says TUC chief Paul Nowak
www.theguardian.com
October 1, 2025 at 3:32 PM
Reposted by Richard Partington
How do you grow the country in every corner? Join us this afternoon for our final event at Labour conference with @mayorofwy.bsky.social @miattafahnbulleh.bsky.social @rjpartington.bsky.social & our own Marcus Johns.📍15:45, Arena Room Dee, ACC.
September 30, 2025 at 2:05 PM
Last year Labour love-bombed business with a ‘Davos on the Mersey’ conference.

This year bosses are disappointed, to say the least:

‘We are being run by student union politicians’

My feature: ‘A serious disappointment’: Labour’s challenge to rebuild City ties:

www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
www.theguardian.com
September 28, 2025 at 9:30 AM
Reeves urged to take 2p off employee NI and add it to income tax in budget

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
Reeves urged to take 2p off employee NI and add it to income tax in budget
Resolution Foundation says move could raise additional £6bn a year and ‘level the playing field’ on income tax
www.theguardian.com
September 23, 2025 at 7:39 AM
Exc: Labour must rethink its “arid” growth strategy to curb rise of far right, says Andy Haldane

The ex-BoE chief economist said populism was being fuelled by failure to raise living standards:

www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Labour must rethink growth strategy to curb rise of far right, says top economist
Former Bank chief economist Andy Haldane says left-behind communities need investment to stem populist tide
www.theguardian.com
September 17, 2025 at 8:12 AM
UK inflation holds steady at 3.8% as fuel prices offset falling air fares

www.theguardian.com/business/202...
UK inflation holds steady at 3.8% as fuel prices offset falling air fares
Annual August rate released as Bank of England considers holding interest rate at 4% to tackle rising prices
www.theguardian.com
September 17, 2025 at 7:49 AM
UK labour market cools as pay growth slows and job losses rise

www.theguardian.com/business/202...
UK labour market cools as pay growth slows and job losses rise
ONS figures come as the government is under pressure to revive Britain’s economy before the budget
www.theguardian.com
September 16, 2025 at 8:20 AM
Bank of England urged to slow bond-selling plan to help cut record UK borrowing costs.

Four ex-MPC members tell the Guardian that the BoE should scale back QT this Thursday amid febrile bond market conditions.

Doing so could have a benefit for Rachel Reeves

www.theguardian.com/business/202...
Bank of England urged to slow bond-selling plan to help cut record UK borrowing costs
Ex-MPC members say ‘quantitative tightening’ should be scaled back or halted entirely, saving the Treasury up to £10bn a year
www.theguardian.com
September 15, 2025 at 10:21 AM
Labour urged to create ‘national occupational health service’ - www.theguardian.com/money/2025/s...
Labour urged to create ‘national occupational health service’
Fabian Society argues service could keep more people in jobs and fix worklessness crisis driven by ill-health
www.theguardian.com
September 15, 2025 at 10:18 AM
Stagnant GDP shows scale of challenge for Rachel Reeves at autumn budget. My analysis on today’s snapshot:

www.theguardian.com/business/202...
Stagnant GDP shows scale of challenge for Rachel Reeves at autumn budget
Chancellor calls economy ‘stuck, not broken’ but there are signs her policies have added to the UK’s economic headwinds
www.theguardian.com
September 12, 2025 at 1:31 PM
'What the hell are Labour doing?': Starmer’s reshuffle and march of Nigel Farage's Reform dominate discussions at TUC Congress

My report back from this year's annual union gathering in Brighton:

www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Starmer’s reshuffle and march of Reform dominate discussions at TUC conference
Suspicions rife about the workers’ rights bill being watered down after Angela Rayner’s resignation
www.theguardian.com
September 10, 2025 at 9:34 AM
CBI boss calls for Rachel Reeves to tear up Labour’s manifesto pledge on tax - www.theguardian.com/business/202...
CBI boss calls for Rachel Reeves to tear up Labour’s manifesto pledge on tax
Rain Newton-Smith tells chancellor ‘the time for tinkering is over’ and revisit promise not to raise taxes on working people
www.theguardian.com
September 9, 2025 at 4:16 PM
Labour must do more to tackle populist right as party’s support leaks to Reform, say unions

www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Labour must do more to tackle populist right as party’s support leaks to Reform, say unions
TUC general secretary Paul Nowak urged government to show working people ‘whose side you are on’
www.theguardian.com
September 8, 2025 at 8:39 PM
TUC chief Paul Nowak pulls no punches in his Congress speech on Robert Jenrick:

"No amount of Tik Toks or Ozempic or expensive haircuts will ever hide the inner ugliness of Robert Jenrick"

Says he is a "xenophobe" whose rhetoric fuels environment for far-right thugs and hotel protests
September 8, 2025 at 10:17 AM
Reposted by Richard Partington
Labour need to avoid taxing workers to fill the gap in the public finances and start drawing up plans for a wealth tax.

If this keeps happening, the feeling that workers always pay, but they’re leaving the super-rich totally untouched – I think they won’t recover from it. 👇
Unite’s Sharon Graham: ‘Labour has one year to get it right. Farage is on their tail’
As workers feel the pressure and more people tune in to Reform, Starmer risks losing union members’ support, Graham says
www.theguardian.com
September 6, 2025 at 4:33 PM