5 important things happening in the UK today

Here are 5 important things happening in the UK today – 11 June 2025.

• All eyes on the Spending Review: Chancellor Rachel Reeves will deliver her Spending Review at 12h30 today, setting out the budgets for all government departments over the next few years. The NHS and defence are expected to get the biggest boost when Reeves lays out how taxpayers’ money will be spent. [BBC]

• Reeves expected to unveil housing boost: As part of the Spending Review, Reeves is expected to raise government spending on affordable housing by nearly double, providing a major boost to the housebuilding sector and bringing the government’s housing targets a step closer. The chancellor will announce nearly £40 billion worth of grants to be spent over 10 years for local authorities, private developers and housing associations – a major increase on the previous programme. [Guardian]
• Robots to be used to cut NHS waiting times: Robotic surgery will be used en masse to cut NHS waiting times. On Wednesday, the head of the NHS will pledge a major expansion of robotic surgery to cover half a million procedures a year within a decade. Surgeons can get through operations more quickly, clearing waiting lists, and hospital stays will be halved because procedures are less invasive and cause less tissue damage. [Telegraph]

• Brits are hoarding cash: The rising number of British banknotes in circulation suggests households are hoarding cash as they face times of extreme uncertainty and the possibility of network outages, according to a Bank of England official. BOE Chief Cashier Victoria Cleland said Tuesday that UK households turned to cash during the pandemic and for budgeting in the subsequent cost-of-living crisis. [Bloomberg]

• On Wednesday, Oil was trading slightly lower at $66.85 a barrel. The pound was trading at £1.35 to the dollar, £1.18 to the euro and £9.69 to the yuan.