In this episode, we take you inside one of the most closely watched moments in the UK political calendar: the Autumn Budget. How is it really put together? Who shapes it? What did the CBI push for in its submission? And with tough fiscal choices ahead, what should business be watching as the Chancellor prepares to deliver her second Budget?

Host Tracy Black speaks with Louise Hellem, CBI Chief Economist; Mohammad Jamai, CBI Director of Economic Policy and lead on the Budget submission; and Jordan Cummins, CBI Director of UK Competitiveness. 

Together, they unpack the political and economic forces shaping the Chancellor’s decisions - from fiscal rules to productivity pressures - and the competing demands of the Treasury, business, and think-tanks.

We go behind the scenes on the Budget-making process, explore the CBI’s four major proposals for driving sustainable growth, and look at the ideas gaining traction across Westminster. The team also reveals what didn’t make it into the CBI submission - and why strategic focus matters more than headline-grabbing asks.

Finally, we look ahead to Budget Day itself: what’s realistic, where the trade-offs may land, and which measures could make the biggest difference for UK competitiveness in the year ahead.

Produced in partnership with Coulson Partners.

In this episode we focus on the Autumn Budget 2025, and what it means to our members and to the UK economy.

Ever wondered what’s really driving decisions on growth, investment, and innovation? Join us for a seat at the table with the people shaping the UK economy - from business leaders and economists to the policymakers behind the headlines. No panels. No press lines. Just honest, inside-track conversations that leave you smarter and more connected.

Tracy Black sits down with CBI Chief Economist Louise Hellem, Deputy Chief Economist Alpesh Paleja and Commercial Director for London and the South East Megan Bulford to unpack the Autumn Budget 2025 and what it means for business and the UK economy. From productivity and investment to tax, confidence and competitiveness, we share insight on the choices facing the Chancellor – and what our members want to see from this Budget.

Produced in partnership with Coulson Partners.

Introducing The CBI Exchange - the inside track on business and politics.

Ever wondered what’s really driving decisions on growth, investment, and innovation?

Join us for a seat at the table with the people shaping the UK economy - from business leaders and economists to the policymakers behind the headlines.

No panels. No press lines. Just honest, inside-track conversations that leave you smarter and more connected.

The Spring Budget was a significant one for business. But there’s no rest in our quest for growth – in this episode we talk green growth and skills too. 

It’s worth reflecting on the Spring Budget on 15 March. After all, there was plenty in it to help firms go for growth. And although it may have been missing some green credentials – at the time of recording – we’re expecting to hear more on that front within days.   

Joining us for this episode we have Katy Recina, Head of Economic Policy at the CBI, who’s trawled through the hundreds of pages of the red book so you don’t have to. 

As so many of the measures she talks about – from wins on childcare and health support, to frustrations on the Apprenticeship Levy – relate to people and skills, we asked Matthew Percival, Director on our Changing Workforce Programme to join in the discussion. He helps us look back over our Future of Work Conference in early March, bringing in tips and advice from Pheonix Group and Microsoft too.

Joining Syma Cullasy-Aldridge, Chief Campaigns Director, CBI, are: 

In this episode, we mention: 

Digital Skills Toolkit 

Budget breakdown: what it means for your business 

The upcoming Budget is an important one for growth. But why should businesses care what’s in the Chancellor’s red box on 15 March? 

Joining us for this episode we have Louise Hellem, Director of Economic Policy at the CBI to talk us through the headlines of what we’re asking for in the Budget, the business concerns that have led to them, and how government intervention on childcare, capital investment and green growth can make a huge impact on the economy.

Also, just how do we nurture a healthy workforce and how important is it to boost growth? Lydia Hamilton-Rimmer, Senior Policy Adviser in the CBI’s Health team joins the pod to tell us more.

Joining the CBI’s Associate Editor, Joe Marshall in conversation is:

Syma Cullasy-Aldridge, Chief Campaign Director, CBI

Louise Hellem, Director of Economic Policy, CBI

Lydia Hamilton-Rimmer, Senior Policy Adviser, Health, CBI

In this episode we mention:

What is holding back the UK economy? What levers do government need to pull to increase growth, and what role can business play? 

In this episode we hear from the CBI Director General, Tony Danker, and CBI Chief Campaign Director, Syma Cullasy-Aldridge, to delve into some of the solutions to those economic questions.

Whilst firms continue to face the ongoing pressures from energy challenges and ask themselves what happens next, the Government is due to announce updates to the energy support package for non-domestic consumers, with changes due to come into effect from 1 April 2023.

Joining Syma Cullasy-Aldridge (Chief Campaigns Director, CBI) in our first episode for 2023 are Tom Thackray (Director – Decarbonisation, CBI), Juliette Sanders (Director of Strategic Communications, Energy UK), Paul Glendinning (Policy and Markets Director, Northern Powergrid), Neil Hodgson (Deputy Director Energy Intensive Industries and EBRS Review, Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS)) for an expert discussion on: 

- How to navigate the energy challenges facing your business this winter and beyond

- How businesses most exposed to high energy prices will continue to be supported 

- What will be available to those firms not eligible for ongoing support. 

For more information on our CBI @10am webinar series, and to catch up on previous episodes, visit https://www.cbi.org.uk/cbi-10am

What does the UK need to get the economy growing in 2023? What should be the government priorities for business in the year ahead? How do we d change the childcare system to bring more mothers back into the workforce? And how do we best go after green growth?

Join CBI Director General Tony Danker along with Chief Campaign Director Syma Cullasy-Aldridge for this special podcast episode.

We recap some of the talking points from both the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition speeches at the CBI Annual Conference. We also delve into the subject of green growth and hear from the CBI’s Decarbonisation team. 

Joining the CBI’s Associate Editor, Joe Marshall in conversation are:

The CBI Annual Conference is the UK’s flagship event in both the business and political calendar. This year's event brings together influential leaders to explore how the UK can go for growth, and discuss the critical issues facing business.

For useful resources and to watch the keynotes in full, visit our hub:

https://www.cbi.org.uk/articles/the-cbi-annual-conference-2022-content-hub/

Join the CBI’s Chief Economist, Rain Newton-Smith, Jo Twist, CEO, UKIE - The Association for UK Interactive Entertainment, and Jonathan Seebacher, Director, Ryder Architecture to hear why trade in services is a key strategic opportunity for UK economic growth.

The UK economy is fundamentally services based, making up 80% of the economy, while growth in global markets is predominantly in services and digital in the coming decades. Trade in services is therefore a key strategic opportunity for UK economic growth and is an absolute priority on the UK trade agenda.

In the last episode in our 'Clusters Think In' podcast series, Hashi Mohammed, Contributing Editor at Tortoise Media is joined by Michael Anstey, Partner at Cambridge Innovation Capital, and Dan Metcalf, Director of Marketing & Communications at the Harwell Science & Innovation Campus in Oxfordshire, to discuss how successful clusters can help the UK’s regions and nations to become internationally competitive. 

Dan explains that it is vital that UK clusters are more proactive in investing in communications activity, which is underdeveloped compared to other international competitors who are constantly revisiting their brand and positioning in the marketplace to remain at the forefront of investor attention. He believes that the UK has a lot of strengths which are competitive globally but needs to break free of the conservative behaviour around science and technology infrastructure investment in order to be world-leading – to go faster will mean investing with conviction and require greater risk-taking. 

Michael highlighted the importance of the Oxford-Cambridge Arc to the UK economy explaining that it is one of the most exciting places for novel innovation in the world – as good as anything you will find in the US, Israel or Asia – with the potential to truly inspire people. He argues that mega clusters are emerging internationally and connecting clusters in the UK to scale up and create a far larger, compelling narrative and proposition is vital. This also creates the opportunities to expand into other regions and drive employment and investments in the rest of the country 

'Clusters Think In' is a podcast series included as part of the CBI's series of Thriving Regions events. Listen and subscribe to the series here.