London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Oct 01, 2026

Jeremy Hunt has no plan for growth, says CBI boss

Jeremy Hunt has no plan for growth, says CBI boss

The chancellor's Autumn Statement offered no plan to revive economic growth, the head of the UK's biggest business lobby group has told the BBC.

Tony Danker from the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) said Jeremy Hunt had instead prioritised stability.

Mr Danker said that without higher growth, the UK would not afford the growing cost of health and social care.

Health Secretary Steve Barclay said that "high growth" industries would benefit from post-Brexit freedoms.

In his Autumn Statement last week, Mr Hunt laid out £55bn of spending cuts and tax rises aimed at bringing down soaring prices while protecting public services.

At the same time, the government's economic forecaster warned households would see their biggest drop in living standards on record in the next few years as living costs surged and the country fell into recession.

Speaking on Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, Mr Danker said Mr Hunt's statement had been "all about fighting inflation and getting the government budget in some decent shape and that does need to be done".

But he added that "there was really nothing there that tells us the economy is going to avoid another decade of low productivity and low growth".

"Jeremy Hunt did some things which will be very welcome, but he also made businesses and everybody pay more taxes and so the fear is there just wasn't enough there to turn round and say, 'we can grow again'," he said.

"So I don't think he did enough, I think he is going to have to come back with more."

Tony Danker, head of the CBI lobby group

Mr Hunt's Autumn Statement was in large part designed to reassure financial markets after the controversy sparked by his predecessor's mini-budget in September.

Kwasi Kwarteng promised major tax cuts to boost growth, but the unfunded plans spooked investors and caused government borrowing costs to spike.

Mr Danker, who initially welcomed elements of the former chancellor's plans, told the BBC that the tax cuts had clearly backfired.

However, he said some of Mr Kwarteng's other proposals - such as relaxing immigration, regulation and planning laws - needed to be looked at again.

The CBI, which represents 190,000 UK businesses, will see its annual conference kick off on Monday.


Lagged behind


The UK economy has lagged behind those of other developed nations since the pandemic and is expected to be in recession all of next year.

Part of the problem is global, with energy and food prices soaring this year due to the war in Ukraine and Covid.

But the UK also faces significant labour supply challenges, while it is more difficult for small businesses to trade with Europe or access the talent they need due to Brexit.

On Sunday, the government denied a report that senior officials want to move to a Swiss-style trading relationship with the European Union to boost growth.

Switzerland has access to the EU single market but must pay into the EU budget, although any such deal would not mean a return to freedom of movement, the Sunday Times reported.

A government spokesman called the reports "categorically untrue".

Mr Barclay, the former Brexit secretary, told Laura Kuenssberg the UK would not give up "autonomy" over its money, laws and regulation.

He said this freedom would create new opportunities for high-growth industries such as green energy, digital, financial services and life sciences.

"We've protected the research and development budget increase up to £20bn," Mr Barclay added, defending Mr Hunt's wider plans. "We've got £600bn of infrastructure investment. We are seizing the greater opportunities of our freedoms through Brexit."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Southwest England Faces Flood Alerts After Heavy Autumn Storms
UK Expands Funding for Rapid Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure
Welsh Government Approves Funding to Upgrade South Wales Transport
Northern Ireland Tensions Rise as Orange Order Rejects Drumcree Compromise
NHS Leaders Back Early Design of Proposed National Care Service
More Than One-Third of Regional UK Universities Face Financial Deficits
UK Current Account Deficit Narrows as Cross-Border Financial Flows Remain Strong
Bank of England and FCA Issue New Rules for Stablecoins and Digital Assets
MI5 Warns UK Universities Over Research Links With Chinese Institutions
UK Energy Price Cap Rises 4% as Electricity VAT Is Temporarily Suspended
Equity Calls for UK Personality Rights to Protect Performers From AI Replication
OpenAI Pauses Advanced Model Training Following Safety Concerns
Scottish Government Proposes Replacing 32 Councils With Larger Regional Authorities
Ofgem Raises UK Household Energy Price Cap by 4% From October
UK Counter-Terrorism Police Continue Investigation After Five Arrests Near RAF Fairford
OECD Cuts UK 2027 Growth Forecast to 1%
Labour Says State Pension Triple Lock Remains Protected Through Current Parliament
Andy Burnham Pledges National Care Service With Free Social Care in England
Six Flags Permanently Shuts Landmark X2 Roller Coaster Following Safety Scandals
Metropolitan Police Rule Out Terrorism in Golders Green Stabbing Investigation
Lithium-Ion Battery Identified as Cause of Fatal Merseyside House Fire
UK Department Rejects New Sea Use Framework Due to Stakeholder Fatigue
Major Thames Water Pipe Burst Causes School Closures in London
Aldi Commits £900 Million to Expand UK Supermarket Network
Scottish Affairs Committee Warns Skills Shortages Threaten Defence Sector Expansion
Parliamentary Committee Warns Northern Ireland Budget Deadlock is Stalling Economic Growth
NHS Hospitals in England Face Severe Shortages of Essential Medications
Home Secretary Signals Major Overhaul of UK Immigration and Leave to Remain Policies
Chancellor Promises New Job Schemes Alongside Strict Fiscal Discipline
Energy Secretary Proposes Taxpayer-Funded Green Transition and National Electricity Grid
UK Government to Renationalise Avanti West Coast Railway Franchise in March
Prime Minister Andy Burnham Pledges Major Social Care and Infrastructure Reforms
Five Suspects Released on Bail Following Alleged Bomb Plot Near RAF Fairford
UK Diesel Prices Hit Record High of 199p Per Litre
Transport for Wales and Network Rail Complete Electrification of South Wales Metro
Defra Expands Incentives for Sustainable Farming and Biodiversity in England
Northern Ireland Executive Approves Funding Package to Resolve Public Sector Pay Disputes
Universities UK Warns of Financial Insolvency Risks for Higher Education Institutions
UK Prisons Activate Emergency Protocols to Manage Capacity Pressures
UK Government Establishes New Safety Standards for Frontier AI Models
Home Office Tightens Skilled Worker Visa Requirements and Dependent Rules
Ministry of Defence Restructures Royal Navy Frigate Procurement to Prevent Overruns
UK Government Mandates New Housing Targets to Address National Shortage
UK and Scottish Governments Reach Agreement on North Sea Energy Transition
NHS Launches Digital Overhaul to Reduce Surgical Backlogs in England
Bank of England Holds Interest Rates as Service Sector Inflation Persists
UK Chancellor Announces Fiscal Consolidation Measures to Stabilize National Debt
RNLI Chief Executive Condemns Misinformation and Abuse Targeting Volunteer Crews
Metropolitan Police Charge Swindon Man with Assisting Foreign Intelligence Services
British Intelligence Report Warns Environmental Collapse Threatens Global Defense Infrastructure
×