Business Owners Are Eyeing a Fresh, Grounded Spring Budget
Newspage gathered stories from entrepreneurs across the country—from mortgage firms to retailers, marketers, and tech gurus—to see what they’d love to see waltz into the next week’s spring Budget. The sentiment? Time to ditch the wild goose chase of past tax cuts and zero in on practical, people‑first solutions.
Andrew Montlake, Managing Director at Coreco, Demands Housing Sustainability
- Avoid another “Liz Truss turkey” – fiscal overreach that steamrolled the economy and pushed borrowing costs through the roof.
- Boost housing demand in a “soft” way: a modest stamp‑duty drop could win over both buyers and critics.
- Reconsider the 99% mortgage idea; it’s a sketchy slope that might backfire.
- Show real commitment to social housing; give landlords relief from certain tax perks that sap the private‑rental market.
- Speed up planning rules and set up a cross‑party committee led by a Housing Tsar to map out long‑term plans beyond this Parliament.
Jenny Blyth, Small‑Business Owner, Calls for Living‑Cost Relief
“The Budget should toss a lifeline into the pockets of people who’re juggling between Universal Credit and trying to keep their shops afloat.” Blyth adds that the economy’s current downturn isn’t about to be a mere recessional hiccup—it’s a stubborn slump that’s left many with “second, third, even fourth jobs.” A boost in living‑cost payments is she says, a quick fix the Chancellor can offer.
Daniel Wiltshire, Actuary & IFA, Labels Recent Tax Moves as a Betrayal
- “The last few years of tax changes feel designed to batter the most hardworking segment of our economy.” Wiltshire points out that without raising income‑tax thresholds or slashing corporation tax, the Tories will lose bedroom bragging rights as the party of enterprise.
- He warns that the UK may become a place where shyness replaces ambition if the budget isn’t aggressively pro‑business.
What’s the Take‑away?
Business leaders across sectors are united in one voice: the next Budget must be actionable, honest, and pro‑people. They want measures that uplift households, streamline housing and planning, and finally let the private sector breathe again. The hope? A chancellor that actually answers the call for a budget that works—no more unpredictable tax theatrics, no more inflated promises, and no more policy that feels like a slap to the wallet.
