Political monitor uk june 9th 2025 edition 176939804876
Published: 9-Jun-25
Public Policy
Political Monitor UK | June 9th, 2025 Edition
This Wednesday (11th June) the Treasury will set Departmental Budgets for 2026-29 at the Comprehensive Spending Review.
Cavendish has distributed a briefing note on the expected announcements from the Review which can be accessedhere. Another note will be distributed on the day, summarising the Government’s new spending commitments. Education and health, as protected departments, are expected to avoid real-terms cuts in the Spending Review, with the NHS set to receive a £30bn funding boost and a 10-year plan post-Review to support the Government’s mission of making it “fit for the future”.
Other Key News
Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting andChief Executive of NHS Improvement Jim Mackey haveurgedtrusts to eradicate spending on temporary agency workers entirely and warned of legislative action if progress stalls.
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipsonconfirmedthe Government’s continued commitment to reforming the skills system.
Jobcentres willshiftfrom mandating “any job” placements to offering long-term, personalised career support, with Employment Minister Alison McGovern announcing a Government pledge of £1bn annually for tailored employment help while using AI to free up job coaches to focus on human-centred guidance.
The Prime Minister haslauncheda £187 million national “TechFirst” skills drive to equip one million students and 7.5 million workers with AI and digital skills by 2030.
The Government hasdecidedto delay AI regulation by at least a year to prepare a more comprehensive Bill addressing safety and copyright concerns, raising fears over continued regulatory gaps.
Shadow Chancellor Mel Strideannouncednew Conservative policy commissions on ‘Taxation’ and ‘Finance and the City’ to address structural weaknesses in the economy, stating that the current tax system creates disincentives to work and must be reformed to support growth and fairness, with senior members from APSCo in attendance.
Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey hascalledfor deeper UK-EU ties - particularly in financial services - to help minimise Brexit-related trade disruption.
Thelaunchof the Government’s Industrial Strategy has been delayed to the ‘end of June’ due to last-minute budget negotiations.
APSCo News
PR on the Spending Review will be published in the e-bulletin on Wednesday.
In response to the Government’s announcement on agency workers in the NHS, APSCo has sent aletterto Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting, highlighting the value of a blended, flexible NHS workforce.
The Week Ahead
Monday 9 June:Oral questions on the impact of changes to employer National Insurance contributions on charities in social care and special education, led by Lord McColl of Dulwich (Conservative)
Tuesday 10 June:Consideration of a Lords Messages on the Data (Use and Access) Bill
Tuesday 10 June:Committee stage (Day 8) of the Employment Rights Bill
Wednesday 11 June:Spending Review 2025 announced by the Chancellor Rachel Reeves
Wednesday 11 June:Westminster Hall debate on NHS funding in the South West, led by Steve Darling (Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Work and Pensions)
Wednesday 11 June:Oral questions on the Government’s economic growth mission under the Plan for Change, led by Lord Booth (Conservative)
Wednesday 11 June:Oral questions on the UK’s job market, led by Lord Hunt of Wirral (Shadow Minister for Business and Trade)
Wednesday 11 June:Oral evidence session for the Work and Pensions Committee inquiry: Get Britain Working – Reforming Jobcentres
Thursday 12 June:Oral questions to the Department for Business and Trade
The Bill has moved to the Committee Stage in the Lords, which began on Tuesday 29th April. The list of full list of proposed amendments to the Bill as they currently stand can be found here.
The Billhas begun to ‘ping-pong’ between the House of Commons and the House of Lords in a process where both sides consider final amendments to the Bill before it receives royal assent.
The Guardian hasreportedthat the Government is concerned about the Bill being shelved, as its proposal to allow AI developers unrestricted access to copyrighted material without disclosure or licensing has suffered its fourth defeat in the House of Lords.
Over this weekend, weheardthat the Government will introduce a more comprehensive Bill next year, which will cover online safety and copyright issues.
HMRC Consultations
The Government published the following consultations on the back of the Spring Statement:
Closing in on behaviour of tax avoiders:A comprehensive package of measures to close in on promoters of marketed tax avoidance, whose contrived schemes leave their clients with unexpected tax bills. Closes 18thJune.
Behavioural penalties reform:Options to simplify and strengthen HMRC’s inaccuracy and failure to notify penalties. Closes 18thJune.
![current_brand[0].name](https://uk.apsco.org/hs-fs/hubfs/APSCo%20United%20Kingdom%20Logo%202024_RGB-1.png?width=400&height=160&name=APSCo%20United%20Kingdom%20Logo%202024_RGB-1.png "current_brand[0].name")
