History risks repeating itself in Ireland
Northern Ireland faces legal confusion over UK and EU tobacco laws. A UK generational smoking ban and proposed EU excise hikes risk encouraging smuggling through the region. Critics
UK government rolls out new fisheries management plans to protect fish stocks
Mace | 17th December 2025 | Politics
Government publishes five new Fisheries Management Plans aimed at safeguarding key stocks and underpinning sustainable UK fishing practices.
Subscribe to The Mace
Join the member community shaping British politics and stay ahead of what's really happening in the world of politics and public affairs, with expert analysis, breaking news, and insider insights from Westminster and Brussels. The Mace is the leading news source and resource for the government affairs industry, offering required reading and lobby intelligence for professionals.
To see what you are missing out on by not subscribing to The Mace, click here to download our full membership info-pack. This includes having no paywall on op-ed content or profiles/interviews, allowing professional profiles to be read with maximum impact and visibility by government, special advisers, MPs, peers, civil servants, and policy and political decision-makers.
AI Takes the Helm in Political Polling, Harvard Warns of Limits and Promise
Political polling is undergoing a transformation as artificial intelligence offers instant insights from digital platforms and AI chatbot simulations, Harvard’s Ash Center reports. AI polling may match traditional
Bean flags danger in Reeves’s tight fiscal buffer
Charlie Bean warns that Rachel Reeves’s sub‑£10 billion fiscal buffer is dangerously lean compared with the £30 billion norm. He argues that such tightness forces constant adjustments and leaves no room
Reeves considers u-turn on non-dom tax amid sharp rise in wealth exodus
Rachel Reeves is considering diluting Labour’s proposed inheritance tax reforms for non-doms after a rise in wealthy individuals leaving the UK. More than 4,400 directors have resigned in
Dyson leads business backlash against Labour tax plan
Sir James Dyson has criticised Labour’s tax and National Insurance increases, warning they could stifle innovation and deter investment. The measures, part of Chancellor Rachel Reeves’s 2025 Spending
Labour spending review targets defence, NHS and infrastructure under tight constraints
Rachel Reeves’ first spending review sets out Labour’s fiscal priorities, committing new funds to defence, the NHS and infrastructure projects like nuclear energy and housing. Despite limited headroom
FTSE 100 closes near record high amid mining gains and weak pound
The FTSE 100 ended Tuesday at 8,254.18, narrowly missing its all-time closing high. Mining stocks and a weaker pound lifted the index, while cautious investor sentiment and upcoming
Labour scraps £5,000 business event amid low interest
Labour has cancelled a high-priced corporate conference due to weak demand from executives and lobbyists. The £5,000-per-head event faced criticism over costs and limited ministerial access. It follows
Court blocks Trump tariffs, testing limits of trade authority
A U.S. federal court has struck down President Trump’s global tariffs, ruling they exceed the limits of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. The administration has appealed, insisting
Reform UK proposes £20,000 tax-free threshold in pre-election pitch
Reform UK has proposed raising the personal tax allowance to £20,000, a policy expected to cost up to £80 billion. The party plans to fund it by scrapping
