Rachel Reeves, the Chancellor, ruled out further tax rises during her speech at the CBI annual conference. In response to the 'tax bomb' which includes a £40 billion increase in National Insurance contributions, Reeves assured that there would be no more increases in public spending over the next four years. This statement was met with a stony silence from business leaders who criticized the decision, claiming it would hinder job creation, growth, and investment.
The CBI chairman, Rupert Soames, described the treatment of business as a 'cash cow' to be 'milked.' The CBI reported that two-thirds of its members had cut their recruitment plans following the announcement. Salman Amin, chief executive of McVitie’s biscuits, expressed difficulty in understanding the case for investment in the UK. Reeves insisted that her budget would provide the stability required for growth and defended her decision by saying that public services now need to live within their means