Tax Hikes Push Up UK Borrowing Costs

UK government borrowing costs hit their highest level since the Labour party took charge. This happened after Finance Minister Rachel Reeves announced big tax increases in her first budget. Right after the news broke at 12:30 p. m. , the yield on 10-year UK government bonds jumped by as much as 7 basis points. This shows that investors see more risk. The yield later cooled down to a 3 basis point rise, standing at 4. 35% by 4 p. m. UK time. The 2-year bonds, known as gilts, also jumped, being 6 basis points higher at 4. 33% after rising by as much as 10 basis points. Reeves' budget included £40 billion ($52 billion) in tax hikes to fix the public finances and plan for better public services. The Treasury also said it would issue more gilts, totaling £299. 9 billion for the fiscal year. This is an increase of £22. 2 billion ($28. 9 billion) to meet the U. K. 's funding needs. Previous market chaos, like what happened under former Prime Minister Liz Truss, isn't expected to happen again for several reasons. Things are different now: key policies were announced earlier, any extra borrowing is for public investment, and inflation has dropped since the Truss era. Back then, it reached a high of 10. 1%, but now it's down at 1. 7%. Analysts like Joe Maher from Capital Economics suspect investors are more lenient with public policy changes due to lower inflation and interest rates heading down. Sanjay Raja, chief UK economist at Deutsche Bank Research, said the budget signals more gilt issuance and a need for careful spending. While markets are calm about Reeves' plans, some worry about future spending pressures and the need to avoid further tax hikes or spending cuts. The finance minister is walking a tightrope to keep the fiscal plan balanced.