The Money Gains Podcast Finance Experts Reveal: What The UK Budget Means For You (Andrew Craig & Brian Byrnes)
Nov 28, 2025
Andrew Craig, a best-selling author and finance commentator, joins Brian Byrnes, Head of Personal Finance at Moneybox, to dissect the latest UK Budget. They explore the implications of fiscal drag and how it acts as a stealth tax, pushing more workers into higher tax brackets. The duo critiques the impact of high taxes on private sector growth and the UK's pension shortfall compared to Australia. They discuss the limitations of ISA changes, the importance of financial education, and how some budget measures may take years to implement.
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Pre-Budget OBR Leak Stirred Circus
- The podcast opened discussing an OBR leak and chaotic pre-budget circus that fuelled speculation.
- Guests described the leak as egregious and damaging to proper parliamentary process.
Fiscal Drag Is A Big Stealth Tax
- Fiscal drag (freezing tax thresholds) will push many into higher-rate tax brackets and acts as a large stealth tax.
- Brian Byrnes and Andrew Craig warn it reduces work incentives and raises significant revenue (£12bn) for the state.
ISA Cut Won’t Revive UK Equity Ecosystem
- Cutting the cash ISA allowance nudges people toward investing but is unlikely to revive UK equity funding.
- Andrew Craig says the UK stock market ecosystem needs far deeper structural fixes than ISA tweaks.