UK's Rachel Reeves nears moment of truth with tax-heavy budget By Reuters

Contributing sentiments towards policy:

55% : When Reeves presents her second annual budget on Wednesday, she is expected to announce another round of hefty tax increases, testing the confidence of the governing Labour Party and drawing scrutiny from an uneasy bond market.
47% : MANCHESTER, England (Reuters) -"We won't have to do a budget like this ever again," Britain's finance minister Rachel Reeves declared a year ago, insisting she had restored stability to the public finances on her first attempt and would not be coming back for more tax rises.
46% : Her stock among businesses at home is lower, largely due to last year's tax hike on employers and the lingering uncertainty.
45% : But weeks of mixed messages from her and Prime Minister Keir Starmer on tax have strained the trust of investors and voters, leaving her credibility - and potentially Starmer's political survival - in the balance.
45% : INVESTORS CRITICISE REEVES, BUT FEAR THE ALTERNATIVE In early November, Reeves seemed to be laying the ground for an income tax rate hike, warning that sticking to an election promise not to raise it would mean deep investment cuts.
30% : So it shocked investors when government sources announced an apparent U‑turn: income tax would not go up, raising the prospect instead of multiple smaller tax hikes with unclear revenue gains.

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