The dust has now settled on Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ Spending Review, giving our business writers and experts time to gather their thoughts about what was present and what was missing. Below we’ll react to the key announcements as they relate to UK businesses, before assessing what more needs to be done in order to make sure UK business isn’t left behind.
The Spending Review Pros For Businesses
Below we’ll cover the things the Spending Review got right for UK businesses. It was clear that at least some of the British Chambers of Commerce‘s earlier calls for consideration were listened to.
Green Businesses
If your business is focussed on Net Zero targets and supporting others in the green space, then you’ll have no doubt heard about the government’s record-breaking spend on nuclear technology, namely:
- £14.2bn for Sizewell C
- £2.5bn for the UK’s first Small Modular Reactor
- £2.5bn commitment for fusion technology
If your business is involved in the fusion or nuclear technology then obviously the increased spend compared to previous years will prove beneficial. But even if you’re a small business owner who focuses on crafting green products, the government’s increased spending is a sign of their appetite for greener business and green practices in the UK, and that can only benefit green businesses moving forwards.
Continued Digitalisation Of HMRC
Part of Reeves’ Spending Review was the government’s renewed commitment to making HMRC a “digital first organisation” which will be detailed further in the HMRC’s Transformation Roadmap. Essentially, though, digitalising HMRC makes managing things like your business tax account and accessing HMRC’s services much easier, streamlining your responsibilities and making business easier for all.
Cons Of The Spending Review For UK Business
Our business contributors were impressed with many of the announcements in the Spending Review for UK households and individuals. Many of the increased spending announcements are good news for households using services throughout the UK. However, there were some glaring omissions for business pointed out by the Confederation of British Industry that many of our own experts noticed too.
The Cost Of Powering A Business
In the UK, our businesses are continuously up against it when it comes to energy costs. The bills UK businesses face are astronomical compared to other parts of the worlds, with recent estimates suggesting our businesses spend:
- 50% more on energy costs than France or Germany (our closest EU competitors)
- and 4x more on energy costs than the US and Canada
That puts our businesses at a serious disadvantage compared to our competitors overseas. It also makes the UK a less attractive place to start up a business when the cost of simply powering it is so much higher than in other countries.
With the Industrial Strategy supposedly incoming, a lack of information in the Spending Review does nothing to ease the frustrations of business owners UK wide.
Lack Of Made Smarter Programme Expansion
One of the joys of the recent Made Smarter programme is that it has proven so successful in encouraging UK businesses to invest in new technologies to improve the efficiencies of their businesses and ultimately stand out from competitors outside the UK.
Many were hoping the Spending Review would include an expansion of the programme to all sectors of the economy. This wasn’t announced, meaning the success of the programme is now limited in its scope and it’s to the detriment of UK businesses more broadly.
Is The Spending Review Good Or Bad For UK Businesses?
Overall the Spending Review is probably equally good and bad for businesses. Ultimately, the Spending Review is more important to government departments and service users than businesses anyway, but it would have been nice to see more spending that would directly impact UK businesses for the better.
But with more announcements and packages surely to come that will focus primarily on the business world, we wait with bated breath to see what measures will be implemented in the future.
To stay up to date, sign up to our FREE newsletter and get the latest business news direct to your inbox.
The post Spending Review June 2025: Recap & Reaction appeared first on Real Business.