Decisions made on the green benches of parliament could be life or death for the circus. Like many businesses, it is walking the wire between rising costs and cash-strapped audiences.
As part of our Bench Across Britain series we visited a circus tent in south Leicestershire where punters try to forget the world for an hour or so – only to be confronted by Sky News, asking them about the general election.
First, we spoke to the performers: high wire walker Ksenia Archer literally dropped in on our bench while still attached to her safety harness.
“Our costs have gone up miles high,” she said.
“Unfortunately, our customers’ costs have gone up as well. We’ve not been able to increase ticket prices – they have had to go down, to ensure we get any customers at all.”
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She added: “The circus was invented in England – it’s over 250 years old. But unless we get support we will be slowly dying out.”
Image: High wire walker Ksenia Archer says the circus’ ‘costs have gone up miles high’
At Circus Cortex, the performers thrill and petrify, suspended from ropes, spinning in the air, balancing on precarious structures – but what scares them is empty seats.
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The industry has campaigned for VAT to be reduced to 5% on ticket prices, as happens in some other European countries, and as happened briefly in the wake of COVID-19.
Paul Archer, circus director, said: “Politicians do not understand the difficulties we have: bringing performers into the UK [means] we have increased visa costs; we have difficulties with transport costs going up. The circus industry needs help.”
As for the performers, behind the masks and grease paint they have the same mundane struggles as everyone else.
In the dressing room, dancer Rebecca Peters said she is watching the pennies. “Rising prices, shopping and stuff, travelling to London for auditions, it’s just got very expensive,” she said.
Image: Dancer Rebecca Peters agreed the cost of living is biting for performers
The Circus Cortex tent sits in a field in south Leicestershire, one of the Conservatives’ top 40 safest seats, where in a recent poll the Tories led Labour by eight points – but that was just before right-wing showman Nigel Farage entered the arena.
Even though he is standing in Clacton, the Brexit ringmaster could take chunks out of the Tory vote. Several audience members at the circus seemed to have lost faith in the larger parties.
“I’m literally done with the current government, including Labour,” said HGV driver Denzil Furtado. “I don’t think they are offering something substantial.
“I’m really convinced by the recent lead of Nigel Farage. He has the charisma of being a prime minister actually.”
His partner, software developer Priya Fernandes, disagreed: “We should give the current government one more chance to prove what they are,” she said.
“Inflation is coming down right now – I think they deserve a second chance.”
Image: People, like Denzil Furtado and Priya Fernandes, are split on who to back in this year’s election
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Others in the audience said they are not going to vote – even though there are things they want such as tackling the cost of living or lowering taxes, or more support for single mothers, or reducing immigration or improving public services.
But they just don’t see their vote making a difference. Some are making an unenthusiastic choice.
Programme manager Margarita Grigorian said: “I will only go with Labour because I don’t want to go with the Conservatives – and the other parties are too little and too weak.”
Keir Starmer recently told Sky News’ political editor Beth Rigby “I’m not running a circus”, but the sense in south Leicestershire is that they want a show – a strongman, something daring, and eye-catching.
Asked who the biggest clown was in this election, Mr Archer replied: “They are not professional enough to be clowns.
“You have to understand humour and timing – they haven’t got any of it, have they?”
With days left until polling day, we are entering the finale, and the audience seems bemused – still trying to work out what it all means.
Building society chiefs will this week intensify their protests against the chancellor’s plans to cut cash ISA limits by warning that it will push up borrowing costs for homeowners and businesses.
Sky News has obtained the draft of a letter being circulated by the Building Societies Association (BSA) among its members which will demand that Rachel Reeves abandons a proposed move to slash savers’ annual cash ISA allowance from the existing £20,000 threshold.
The draft letter, which is expected to be published this week, warns the chancellor that her decision would deter savers, disrupt Labour’s housebuilding ambitions and potentially present an obstacle to economic growth by triggering higher funding costs.
“Cash ISAs are a cornerstone of personal savings for millions across the UK, helping people from all walks of life to build financial resilience and achieve their savings goals,” the draft letter said.
“Beyond their personal benefits, Cash ISAs play a vital role in the broader economy.
“The funds deposited in these accounts support lending, helping to keep mortgages and loans affordable and accessible.
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“Cutting Cash ISA limits would make this funding more scarce which would have the knock-on effect of making loans to households and businesses more expensive and harder to come by.
“This would undermine efforts to stimulate economic growth, including the government’s commitment to delivering 1.5 million new homes.
“Cutting the Cash ISA limit would send a discouraging message to savers, who are sensibly trying to plan for the future and undermine a product that has stood the test of time.”
The chancellor is reportedly preparing to announce a review of cash ISA limits as part of her Mansion House speech next week.
While individual building society bosses have come out publicly to express their opposition to the move, the BSA letter is likely to be viewed with concern by Treasury officials.
The Nationwide is by far Britain’s biggest building society, with the likes of the Coventry, Yorkshire and Skipton also ranking among the sector’s largest players.
In the draft letter, which is likely to be signed by dozens of building society bosses, the BSA said the chancellor’s proposals “would make the whole ISA regime more complex and make it harder for people to transfer money between cash and investments”.
“Restricting Cash ISAs won’t encourage people to invest, as it won’t suddenly change their appetite to take on risk,” it said.
“We know that barriers to investing are primarily behavioural, therefore building confidence and awareness are far more important.”
The BSA called on Ms Reeves to back “a long-term consumer awareness and information campaign to educate people about the benefits of investing, alongside maintaining strong support for saving”.
“We therefore urge you to affirm your support for Cash ISAs by maintaining the current £20,000 limit.
“Preserving this threshold will enable households to continue building financial security while supporting broader economic stability and growth.”
The BSA declined to comment on Monday on the leaked letter, although one source said the final version was subject to revision.
The Treasury has so far refused to comment on its plans.
The government has declined to rule out a “wealth tax” after former Labour leader Neil Kinnock called for one to help the UK’s dwindling finances.
Lord Kinnock, who was leader from 1983 to 1992, told Sky News’ Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips that imposing a 2% tax on assets valued above £10 million would bring in up to £11 billion a year.
On Monday, Sir Keir Starmer’s spokesperson would not say if the government will or will not bring in a specific tax for the wealthiest.
Asked multiple times if the government will do so, he said: “The government is committed to the wealthiest in society paying their share in tax.
“The prime minister has repeatedly said those with the broadest shoulders should carry the largest burden.”
He added the government has closed loopholes for non-doms, placed taxes on private jets and said the 1% wealthiest people in the UK pay one third of taxes.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves earlier this year insisted she would not impose a wealth tax in her autumn budget, something she also said in 2023 ahead of Labour winning the election last year.
Asked if her position has changed, Sir Keir’s spokesman referred back to her previous comments and said: “The government position is what I have said it is.”
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5:31
Welfare: ‘Didn’t get process right’ – PM
The previous day, Lord Kinnock told Sky News: “It’s not going to pay the bills, but that kind of levy does two things.
“One is to secure resources, which is very important in revenues.
“But the second thing it does is to say to the country, ‘we are the government of equity’.
“This is a country which is very substantially fed up with the fact that whatever happens in the world, whatever happens in the UK, the same interests come out on top unscathed all the time while everybody else is paying more for getting services.
“Now, I think that a gesture or a substantial gesture in the direction of equity fairness would make a big difference.”
The son of a coal miner, who became a member of the House of Lords in 2005, the Labour peer said asset values have “gone through the roof” in the past 20 years while economies and incomes have stagnated in real terms.
In reference to Chancellor Rachel Reeves refusing to change her fiscal rules, he said the government is giving the appearance it is “bogged down by their own imposed limitations”, which he said is “not actually the accurate picture”.
A wealth tax would help the government get out of that situation and would be backed by the “great majority of the general public”, he added.
His comments came after a bruising week for Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who had to heavily water down a welfare bill meant to save £5.5bn after dozens of Labour MPs threatened to vote against it.
With those savings lost – and a previous U-turn on cutting winter fuel payments also reducing savings – the chancellor’s £9.9bn fiscal headroom has quickly dwindled.
In a hint of what could come, government minister Stephen Morgan told Wilfred Frost on Sky News Breakfast: “I hold dear the Labour values of making sure those that have the broadest shoulders pay, pay more tax.
“I think that’s absolutely right.”
He added that the government has already put a tax on private jets and on the profits of energy companies.