ESPNThe only MLB playoff preview you need: World Series odds, likely MVPs and how far all 12 teams will goThe Jerusalem PostHezbollah's Nasrallah commemoration exposes its lost standing in Lebanon, expert saysPunchAI should complement, not replace, judicial officers – A’Ibom CJESPN DeportesAl Rojas Vivo: Álvarez, Sánchez, Durán, Stewart y Espada, los latinos de 2026Inquirer‘Most unique’ birds documented in Apayao biosphereColliderNew James Bond Release Officially Adds a 'Game of Thrones' StarAnime News NetworkStalled Despera Anime Project Gets MangaPopular ScienceBald eagles Shadow and Kaydee share a peaceful morning, Jackie’s memorial service approachesVariety‘Stillwater’: Amazon Series Based on Graphic Novel Casts Ben Hardy in Lead RoleBBC عربي"محادثات مرتقبة غير مباشرة" بين واشنطن وطهران في نيويورك، وخامئني يقول إن "القوات الأمريكية ستُجبر على مغادرة بحر العرب"20 Minuten«Bin 100 Meter reingelaufen»: Bodensee-Pegel so tief wie noch nieBBC NewsBest thing we can offer young people is a job, not benefits, says chancellor
The Daily Newsstand · Free, Always
Monday, September 28, 2026

What is the Budget and what could be in it?

Translate

The run-up to the Budget typically sees speculation about what might be in it, which the government is trying to keep to a minimum this year.

Healey and Prime Minister Andy Burnham face a difficult balancing act, trying to offer more support to households and meet commitments on defence spending, while also sticking to Labour's manifesto commitments on tax and the government's self-imposed fiscal rules.

The previous chancellor, Rachel Reeves, set out two main rules, which the new leadership has vowed to follow. These are:

  • Not to borrow to fund day-to-day public spending by the end of this parliament

  • To get government debt falling as a share of national income by the end of this parliament

In March, the OBR calculated that the first rule would be met with a gap - or headroom - of £23.6bn. However, this headroom is expected to have shrunk.

Analysts at KPMG believe it could have fallen to £12bn, mainly due to the rise in government borrowing costs this year.

However, one option that has been floated is Healey potentially accepting a smaller buffer, reducing the need to increase taxes in the Budget.

Your First Home scheme

Further details on the "Your First Home" scheme, aimed at helping first-time buyers in England to purchase a property, are expected to be announced in the Budget.

The scheme will allow people to buy a new-build home with a deposit of 2.5%. It would provide them with a loan worth 20% of their property's value to help pay for the purchase.

Capital Gains Tax

There has been speculation that Capital Gains Tax - which is imposed on the profit people make when they sell an asset that has increased in value - could be changed, through either higher rates or by removing or amending exemptions.

Mansion Tax

The High Value Council Tax Surcharge - dubbed the Mansion Tax - was announced in last year's Budget and will apply to properties in England valued above £2m from April 2028. However, reports have suggested the government is considering extending it to properties worth more than £1.5m.

Taxes on banks

Banks have been reporting bumper profits, leading to calls from unions to increase taxes on the sector. But banks have pushed back, suggesting heavier levies would undermine the government's aim to boost growth and make the UK less competitive.

In the first three months of the year, the UK's economy grew by 0.6%, although it slowed to 0.4% in the April-to-June period.

The Office for National Statistics said that figure was "relatively robust", with the UK growing faster than other G7 countries.

The most recent data showed the economy grew by 0.4% in July, which was much stronger than expected.

Analysts say the UK economy is proving resilient in the face of energy price shocks caused by the US-Israel war with Iran.

The conflict has led to the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway for oil and gas trade. This caused a sharp jump in oil prices, which has fed through to higher energy and fuel prices.

Economists expect UK growth to slow in the months ahead as those costs continue to weigh on households and businesses.

Prices for goods and services are still rising faster than wanted. Inflation hit 3.1% in the year to August, the highest rate in five months, and above the Bank of England's 2% target, driven by higher petrol and diesel prices.

The Bank of England held interest rates at 3.75% for the sixth time in a row in September, but said they were likely to rise if high energy prices persist.

View the original on BBC Business →

KioskNews shows a cleaned-up reading view extracted from the publisher’s page — the original always lives on their site, not ours.