Labour hires experts to ‘modernise’ HMRC and stop people being left ‘hanging on the phone’
Labour has appointed an expert panel to help it “modernise” His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) if it wins the next election, with the shadow chancellor pledging to stop people being “left hanging on the phone”.
Speaking to Sky News, Rachel Reeves said the panel would advise her on how to improve tax compliance and “bring in this additional money” to the government’s coffers, as well as updating the technology behind the service.
And she said the group would make recommendations on “how we can modernise the HMRC and make it a better experience for people phoning up… who are often left hanging on the phone because there’s no one answering the calls”.
The announcement comes just weeks after a U-turn from HMRC over its plans to shut its helplines for half of the year, following an outcry from the public and politicians.
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It also comes as Labour revealed how it would fill the gaps in its spending plans after the Conservatives stole two of their revenue-raising policies – the scrapping of the non-dom tax status and an extension of the windfall tax on oil and gas firms – to pay for a cut in national insurance.
Ms Reeves said the party would raise £5bn by the end of the next parliament to fund breakfast clubs for primary school children and additional appointments in the NHS by clamping down on tax avoidance and closing “loopholes” in the government’s own non-dom pledges.
Put to her that £5bn was a small fraction of public spending overall, the shadow chancellor insisted it was not “a drop in the ocean”, telling Sky News’ Tamara Cohen: “I think that will make a big difference to the lives of hundreds of thousands of people across our country and that is the difference that a Labour government will bring.”
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She added: “[The] Conservative government is still not willing to properly clampdown on tax avoidance or to ensure that our non-doms are paying their fair share.
“It’s [a] Labour government that is willing to make those tough decisions and put that money where it’s needed into our frontline public services.”
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Ms Reeves warned there would be “constraints in what an incoming Labour government would do”, blaming the Tories for playing “fast and loose with the public finances”.
But she insisted everything in the party’s manifesto would be “fully costed and fully funded”, adding: “People can have the certainty and the security of an economy well-run, after the chaos they’ve seen these last few years.”
Asked if any tax cuts would be on the cards with her in the Treasury, Ms Reeves said: “I want the tax burden on ordinary working people to be lower, but I won’t make any promises that I can’t say how I will keep.”
But she did reiterate Labour’s commitment to the triple lock on pensions, and hinted an emergency budget could come quickly if her party gets the keys to Number 10 and 11.
Ms Reeves confirmed her first budget would include measures to close non-dom loopholes and the windfall tax extension, and Sky News understands it will also include its policy of imposing VAT on private school fees.
“Of course… we will have to bring forward a budget,” she said. “There will also be a need for a spending review.
“But we’ll take one thing at a time. We need to win the election and then we will be able to put into practice the policies.”
Ms Reeves was also asked about the ongoing row around Labour’s deputy leader Angela Rayner and her living arrangements before she became an MP.
Ms Rayner is facing accusations she avoided capital gains tax after selling her property in Stockport in 2015, and falsely registering to vote there while living at her then husband’s house nearby – claims she has denied.
Labour’s deputy leader Angela Rayner. Pic: PA
Asked if she had seen the tax advice given to Ms Rayner, the shadow chancellor said: “ No, because I haven’t seen the tax returns or the tax or legal advice of any of my colleagues, and I wouldn’t treat Angela Rayner different to other colleagues.
“But she has taken that advice as she is confident, and I have every faith and trust in my friend and colleague Angela Rayner.”
Altcoins may see a resurgence in the second quarter of 2025 as regulations for digital assets continue to improve, according to Swiss bank Sygnum.
In its Q2 2025 investment outlook, Sygnum said the space has seen “drastically improved” regulations for crypto use cases, creating the foundations for a strong alt-sector rally for the second quarter. However, it added that “none of the positive developments have been priced in.”
In April, Bitcoin dominance reached a four-year high, signaling that crypto investors are rotating their funds into an asset perceived to be relatively safer.
But Sygnum believes regulatory developments in the US, such as President Donald Trump’s establishment of a Digital Asset Stockpile and advancing stablecoin regulations, could propel broader crypto adoption.
“We expect protocols successful in gaining user traction to outperform and Bitcoin’s dominance to decline,” Sygnum wrote.
Increased focus on economic value ignites competition
Sygnum also said that competition would increase as the market focuses on economic value. Increased competition in a market often results in better products, ultimately benefiting consumers:
“The market’s increased focus on economic value compels greater competition for user growth and revenues, with rising protocols such as Toncoin, Sui, Aptos, Sonic, or Berachain taking different approaches.”
Sygnum added that while high-performance blockchains address limitations of the Bitcoin, Ethereum and Solana blockchains, these chains find it challenging to achieve meaningful adoption and fee income.
The report highlighted that some approaches have been more sustainable. These include Berachain’s approach of incentivizing validators to provide liquidity to decentralized finance (DeFi) applications, Sonic’s rewarding developers that attract and retain users, and Toncoin’s Telegram affiliation to access one billion users.
Aside from layer-1 chains, Sygnum highlighted that layer-2 networks like Base also have potential. The report pointed out that while the memecoin frenzy on the blockchain pushed its users and revenue to new highs, it made an equally sharp decline after memecoins started losing steam.
Despite this, Sygnum noted that Base remains the layer-2 leader in metrics like daily transactions, throughput and total value locked.
Related: Italy finance minister warns US stablecoins pose bigger threat than tariffs
Memecoins still a leading crypto narrative in Q1
Despite recent price declines, memecoins remained a dominant crypto narrative in Q1 2025. A CoinGecko report recently highlighted that memecoins remained dominant as a crypto narrative in the first quarter of 2025. The crypto data company said memecoins had 27.1% of global investor interest, second only to artificial intelligence tokens, which had 35.7%.
While retail investors are still busy with memecoins, institutions have a different approach. Asset manager Bitwise reported on April 14 that publicly traded firms are stacking up on Bitcoin. At least twelve public companies purchased Bitcoin for the first time in Q1 2025, pushing public firm holdings to $57 billion.
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It was perhaps not quite how officials, in London at least, had envisaged the announcement of the state visit would be made.
In the Oval Office, Donald Trump revealed the news in his own way.
“I was invited by the King and the great country. They are going to do a second fest – that’s what it is. It is beautiful,” he said during an impromptu Oval Office moment.
The question was, did this “fest” – which Mr Trump suggested could happen in September – amount to the much hyped second state visit for the American president?
Or was this actually just the smaller visit that had been offered two months ago as an initial bilateral visit at which the state visit would be discussed?
Back in February, Sir Keir Starmer presented the president with a letter from King Charles and the offer of a state visit.
The letter proposed an initial meeting between the King and the president to discuss details of the state visit at either Dumfries House or Balmoral, both in Scotland, close to Mr Trump’s golf clubs.
The King wrote: “Quite apart from this presenting an opportunity to discuss a wide range of issues of mutual interest, it would also offer a valuable chance to plan a historic second state visit to the United Kingdom… As you will know this is unprecedented by a US president. That is why I would find it helpful for us to be able to discuss, together, a range of options for location and programme content.”
As he revealed the news of his “fest” with his “friend Charles”, Mr Trump said: “I think they are setting a date for September…”
Sources have since confirmed to Sky News that it will amount to the full state visit.
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Sir Keir Starmer handed Trump the invite earlier this year. Pic: Reuters
‘Even more important’
It’s possible the initial less formal presidential trip may still happen between now and September. Mr Trump is in Europe for the NATO summit in June and is due in Scotland to open a new golf course soon too.
“It is the second time it has happened to one person. The reason is we have two separate terms, and it’s an honour to be a friend of King Charles and the family, William,” the president said.
“I don’t know how it can be bigger than the last one. The last one was incredible, but they say the next one will be even more important.”
His last state visit in 2019, at the invitation of the late Queen, drew significant protests epitomised by the giant blow-up “Baby Trump” which floated over Parliament Square.
The president was hosted by the Queen in June 2019. Pic: Reuters
Britain’s trump card
September is a little earlier than had been expected for the visit. It may be an advantage for it to happen sooner rather than later, given the profoundly consequential and controversial nature of the first few months of his second term.
The decision by the British government to play its “state visit trump card” up front back in February drew some criticism.
And since February, Mr Trump’s position on numerous issues has been increasingly at odds with all of America’s allies.
On Ukraine, he has seemingly aligned himself closely with Vladimir Putin. His tariffs have caused a global economic shock. And on issues like Greenland and Canada, a member of the Commonwealth, he has generated significant diplomatic shock.
A risk worth taking
Mr Trump is as divisive among the British public as he is in America. Sir Keir is already walking a political tightrope by choosing the softly softly approach with the White House.
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The UK government chose not to retaliate against Mr Trump’s tariffs, unlike some allies. Sir Keir and his cabinet have been at pains not to be seen to criticise the president in any way as they seek to influence him on Ukraine and seek an elusive economic deal on tariffs.
On that tariff deal, despite some positive language from the US side and offers on the table, there has yet to be a breakthrough. A continuing challenge is engaging with the president for decisions and agreements only he, not his cabinet, will make.
British officials acknowledge the risk the state visit poses. In this presidency, anything could happen between now and September.
But they argue British soft power and Mr Trump’s fondness for the Royal Family and pomp – or a “fest” as he calls it – amount to vital diplomatic clout.
For a special relationship under strain, a special state visit is the tonic.
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