What kind of Budget would appeal to voters in constituencies where the Greens are Labour's biggest rival? @harryqp.bsky.social joined Sky News this morning to discuss the Holborn and St Pancras by-election and its wider implications. 👇

Nearly 3 in 10 retail sales are now made online, but high street businesses still face higher tax costs. Our new report looks at how an online sales tax could help level the playing field and fund business rate cuts for physical retailers. Watch @aditisriram.bsky.social break it down 👇️

Done carefully and temporarily, this could raise revenue without undermining our financial sector’s international competitiveness.

That’s why we’ve argued for a temporary, targeted levy on banks to help claw back some of those taxpayer losses. Crucially, there is precedent for this approach: Margaret Thatcher’s government introduced a 2.5% tax on bank deposits in 1981 after profits surged following higher interest rates.

Interest rates have risen, yet the CMA has found that higher rates have not always been fully passed on to consumers. At the same time, taxpayers will cover around £18bn a year in Bank of England losses for the rest of this parliament, largely because of the way quantitative easing was implemented.

A key priority for this government should be driving growth: from planning reform to a greater industrial strategy, and a thriving financial sector is an important part of that mission. But bank profits have been exceptionally high in recent years.

London has huge opportunities to seize but it needs the powers to do it. Speaking at our Conservative Party Conference event, @harryqp.bsky.social argued that greater devolution could help London compete with global cities that have far more control over their own finances.

Over £1bn claimed for UK consumers in today's Google Play trial, clearly showing the stakes for the public when digital competition is undermined and prices become uncompetitive. But class actions like this can only fix harms that have already taken place. 1/2

I'm also concerned about UK borrowing costs and fiscal credibility, and it absolutely should be a cornerstone of the upcoming Budget. But this framing I'm seeing feels a tad unfair to me.