London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Oct 21, 2025

Boris Johnson says UK ‘not necessarily’ heading for recession

Boris Johnson says UK ‘not necessarily’ heading for recession

PM sounds upbeat note on economy amid some disquiet among Tory MPs over £15bn cost of living package

Boris Johnson has said the UK is “not necessarily” heading for a recession after his chancellor announced a £15bn package to help people deal with rising energy bills and inflation.

Despite experts warning of trouble ahead for the economy and the government bringing in emergency measures to help out struggling households, the prime minister sounded an upbeat note about Britain’s financial prospects in an interview with Bloomberg TV.

“There are ways forward for the UK that are incredibly exciting,” he said. “If we make sure that we have a proactive approach to talent from abroad – we want to control immigration but allow the talent that we need to come in – we fix our energy supply issues, we fix the issues in the UK labour market.

“One of the incredible things about the economy right now is that unemployment is at its lowest level since I was two years old.”

He acknowledged there would be a “difficult period” ahead but said he was confident energy prices would start coming down.

Asked if the UK was heading for a recession, he answered: “Not necessarily at all.”

Johnson’s economic optimism has been wrong in the past when he gave an interview last year saying inflation fears were “unfounded”. It has since hit 9% and there are worries it could be in double digits by the end of the year.


Rishi Sunak, the chancellor, launched a package of measures on Thursday designed to tackle soaring fuel bills amid the cost of living crisis, but the measures have proved controversial with Conservatives MPs who would rather have seen tax cuts.

Speaking in a round of broadcast interviews on Friday, Sunak said he remained a “fiscal conservative”. He also did not rule out further emergency relief next year.

The package of relief was more ambitious than predicted but Sunak was quick to insist he had not changed his politics.

“First and foremost, I’m a fiscal conservative; I believe it’s incredibly important that I manage the country’s finances responsibly,” he said on Friday morning. “That means, after suffering the shock we did, to get our borrowing and debt levels back on a sustainable trajectory.”

Asked if he would be prepared to introduce a further emergency package in future, with fresh borrowing and taxes, he said: “People can judge me by how I’ve acted over the last couple of years.

“I’ve always been prepared to respond to the situation on the ground, what’s happening to the economy, what families are experiencing and making sure we’ve got policies in place to support them through that.

“In terms of ‘Is it one-off, what’s happening next year?’, I’d go back to what I said earlier. I do want people to be reassured and confident that we will get through this. We will be able to combat and reduce inflation, we have the tools at our disposal and after time it will come down.”

Commenting on the fact that every household across the UK would receive a £400 grant to help cope with the rapidly rising energy costs, including wealthy individuals such as himself, the chancellor said he would be donating his to charity and encouraged others who did not need it to do the same.

He told Sky News: “I am sure, like me, you can also give that money to charity if you don’t need it.”

He said second homes would account for only 1-2% of payments, adding that he had not wanted to use council tax to give the money to households because of the risk that it penalised families in larger homes who were cash poor.

Sunak denied the shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves’ suggestion that he had implemented a Labour policy, telling BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “I don’t think that’s fair.”

Labour proposed a windfall tax on energy companies five months ago.

He also denied the package was brought forward to generate positive headlines after Sue Gray’s report exposed a culture of “bacchanalian” parties in Downing Street.

Despite a turbulent few weeks, where he has been fined for breaching Covid rules and his family’s finances have come under scrutiny, Sunak said he was not planning to resign.

He told the BBC: “No. I am fully committed to helping get the country through what are some challenging months ahead and build a brighter future for the people that I’m very privileged to represent.

“And, as you saw yesterday, I have the same energy and verve I’ve always had for this job and I’ll keep at it.”

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Apple Challenges EU Digital Markets Act Crackdown in Landmark Court Battle
Nicolas Sarkozy begins five-year prison term at La Santé in Paris
Japan stocks surge to record as Sanae Takaichi becomes Prime Minister
This Is How the 'Heist of the Century' Was Carried Out at the Louvre in Seven Minutes: France Humiliated as Crown with 2,000 Diamonds Vanishes
China Warns UK of ‘Consequences’ After Delay to London Embassy Approval
France’s Wealthy Shift Billions to Luxembourg and Switzerland Amid Tax and Political Turmoil
"Sniper Position": Observation Post Targeting 'Air Force One' Found Before Trump’s Arrival in Florida
Shouting Match at the White House: 'Trump Cursed, Threw Maps, and Told Zelensky – "Putin Will Destroy You"'
Windows’ Own ‘Siri’ Has Arrived: You Can Now Talk to Your Computer
Thailand and Singapore Investigate Cambodian-Based Prince Group as U.S. and U.K. Sanctions Unfold
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Chinese Tech Giants Halt Stablecoin Launches After Beijing’s Regulatory Intervention
Manhattan Jury Holds BNP Paribas Liable for Enabling Sudanese Government Abuses
Trump Orders Immediate Release of Former Congressman George Santos After Commuting Prison Sentence
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
Surging AI Startup Valuations Fuel Bubble Concerns Among Top Investors
Australian Punter Archie Wilson Tears Up During Nebraska Press Conference, Sparking Conversation on Male Vulnerability
Australia Confirms U.S. Access to Upgraded Submarine Shipyard Under AUKUS Deal
“Firepower” Promised for Ukraine as NATO Ministers Meet — But U.S. Tomahawks Remain Undecided
Brands Confront New Dilemma as Extremists Adopt Fashion Labels
The Sydney Sweeney and Jeans Storm: “The Outcome Surpassed Our Wildest Dreams”
Erika Kirk Delivers Moving Tribute at White House as Trump Awards Charlie Presidential Medal of Freedom
British Food Influencer ‘Big John’ Detained in Australia After Visa Dispute
ScamBodia: The Chinese Fraud Empire Shielded by Cambodia’s Ruling Elite
French PM Suspends Macron’s Pension Reform Until After 2027 in Bid to Stabilize Government
Orange, Bouygues and Free Make €17 Billion Bid for Drahi’s Altice France Telecom Assets
Dutch Government Seizes Chipmaker After U.S. Presses for Removal of Chinese CEO
Bessent Accuses China of Dragging Down Global Economy Amid New Trade Curbs
U.S. Revokes Visas of Foreign Nationals Who ‘Celebrated’ Charlie Kirk’s Assassination
AI and Cybersecurity at Forefront as GITEX Global 2025 Kicks Off in Dubai
×