Here are 5 important things happening in the UK today, Friday (24 October 2025).
- Keir Starmer outlines plans for Digital IDs: Prime Minister Keir Starmer has set out his vision for digital IDs as he fights to win back public support for the scheme. He told staff at a Barclays branch in Brighton on Thursday that digital ID would “really help” with security for customers after they told him they dealt with victims of scams and fraud every day. He also told the BBC: “You’ll never need ID to get into a hospital or anything like that. And for people who simply don’t want it, well, they don’t need it, apart from the right to work, because we do need to stop people working illegally in our country to do that.” [Guardian]
- Water companies told to refund £260 million to customers for poor performance: England and Wales’ water companies have been ordered to refund more than £260m to customers for poor performance. The economic regulator Ofwat says 40% of that money has already been taken off this year’s bills, with the rest to come off next year’s. But bills are still due to rise steeply until 2030 to fund upgrades to the water system. [BBC]
- High earners face ‘tax trap’ under new plans: Six-figure earners could be dragged back into a costly tax trap if the chancellor cuts salary sacrifice schemes in the budget next month. Experts fear the schemes, which allow workers to exchange part of their salary for non-cash benefits such as pension contributions to reduce their income tax bill, are under threat because of HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) research assessing the impact of stripping them back. [Times]
- Key medicines at risk, warns Ineos: One of the last factories in Europe that makes a key chemical for statins, antibiotics and vitamins is at risk of closure amid a flood of cheap foreign imports, Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s Ineos has warned. The chemicals group has said its plant in Mark, Germany had been put at risk because of “dumping” by Chinese rivals. The loss of the site risked leaving health services dependent on “unreliable foreign supply chains”, Sir Jim’s company said. [Telegraph]
- On Friday, Oil was trading higher at $65.74. The pound is trading at $1.33, €1.15, and ¥9.50.
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