The key annoucements in the Autumn Budget 2024
On Wednesday, 30th November 2024, Chancellor Rachel Reeves delivered the much anticipated (and feared) Autumn Budget 2024 in parliament. In this article, we’ve summarised the key announcements, focusing on personal taxes, welfare, energy and the environment, public services and infrastructure, corporate and business taxes, and regional investments.
Here are the key announcements from the UK’s Budget 2024:
Personal Taxes and Welfare:
- Inheritance tax thresholds are frozen until 2030, with inherited pensions now subject to this tax from 2027, projected to raise £2 billion annually.
- Capital gains tax on carried interest will increase, and VAT will be applied to private school fees from January 2025.
- The national minimum wage is set to rise by 6.7% to £12.21 an hour, creating a unified minimum wage for those aged 18 and above.
- The government will continue supporting the pension triple lock, raising the state pension by 4.1% in 2025–26.
Energy and Environment
- A £3.4 billion investment in household energy efficiency is planned, along with funding to reduce fuel poverty and increase heat decarbonisation.
- A new Energy Profits Levy at 38% for oil and gas companies will extend until 2030, while the Boiler Upgrade Scheme receives additional funding to meet demand.
- Over £200 million is allocated for electric vehicle charging points across England, and EV tax rates will remain low until 2029.
Public Services and Infrastructure
- A £2.3 billion increase in the core schools budget and £1 billion boost for special educational needs.
- An additional £3 billion is earmarked for NHS spending, marking the largest real-term growth since 2010.
- Defence spending will rise by £2.9 billion in the next year, with ongoing support for Ukraine.
- The HS2 project will continue with funding to complete the London Euston connection.
Corporate and Business Taxes
- Businesses with second homes face an increased stamp duty surcharge, up to 5%.
- A crackdown on tax evasion and avoidance aims to save £6.5 billion, with additional measures to combat welfare fraud, targeting a £4.3 billion reduction by 2029.
Regional Investments
- Significant funding boosts are planned for devolved governments, with Scotland receiving £3.4 billion, Wales £1.7 billion, and Northern Ireland £1.5 billion for regional development and essential services
What have we learnt from the second series of Sunderland ‘Til I Die?
As a Sunderland fan, I had to watch the second season of Sunderland ‘Til I Die. Rather annoyingly, I knew what happened before tuning in. Having gone to plenty of games throughout the season, including the two Wembley finals, I knew the series would unveil yet more heartbreak for the City of Sunderland and it’s passionate people.
If I’m being honest, I thought the second season of Sunderland ‘Til I Die was disappointing – from a football fan perspective. In fact, I thought it was boring and painted quite a negative portrayal of everyone associated with the football club. Here’s what I did learn.
Some things take longer than a year to fix
There has always been an extraordinarily high expectation around Sunderland Association Football Club.
In the past, players have under-performed and let the club down, and performances haven’t been good enough. The fans don’t deserve this.
However, we’re in League One. So, the players we have are League One standard. They’re not going to finish top of the division by 20 points and they’re not capable of winning every game. I mean, if we still had the likes of Jermain Defoe up top – maybe I’d have a different opinion.
Personally, in Sunderland ‘Til I Die (season 2), I found it difficult to see some of the fans turn on the players. Sometimes, the atmosphere created by the fans has increased the pressure on a number of players who simply aren’t able to cope with it. If this happened in the Premier League – the players have to be able to cope. But, it’s League One. The players need absolute support from the fans at all times – win or lose, because without it, they won’t play to their potential (as we witnessed).
Stewart Donald often mentions his fear that the fans may “turn” on the players and owners. Honestly – this breaks my heart a little. It was his first season in charge and he clearly had good intentions. Finishing in the playoffs and just missing out on promotion was immensely disappointing but there are still positives that can be taken.
Will Grigg had a hideous amount of pressure on him
The amount of pressure on Will Grigg was insane. The poor lad had the weight of the whole club on his shoulders. He’s a lower league player and his performances suggested he wasn’t coping well with this pressure.
Every team needs a Luke O’Nien
Luke O’Nien is a very likeable chap who clearly appreciates the opportunity he has had presented to him.
His work rate appears to be brilliant and his positivity and appreciation for the club is exactly what fans want to see. I’m certain he’ll be one of the most popular lads in the dressing room and good on him.
Sunderland will have good times ahead
I’m not even 30 yet and I’ve seen some horrific matches as a Sunderland fan! I remember seeing us lose 5-0 away at Ipswich in the league back when Mick McCarthy was in charge (I think).
On the other hand, I’ve seen us beat the likes of Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester United! These good times will return one day – I’m certain.
Charlie Methven surely forgot he was being filmed
Everyone will have their opinion on Charlie Methven. He’s certainly passionate but I wouldn’t allow someone like him to speak to me in the manner he spoke to a number of the hard-working Sunderland employees (especially his patronising and disrespectful rant at the Marketing Department).
I’m sure he’s capable of getting excellent results as part of a business, but he appears to be completely out of his depth at Sunderland. And, was I the only one who got the impression he didn’t actually know much at all about the club before investing?
The Stadium of Light is stunning
The home of Sunderland, the Stadium of Light, is stunning. Well done Stewart Donald for changing the seats and getting the players and fans to help out.
Too much emphasis was put on the Checkatrade Trophy final
This annoyed me. I was at both Wembley finals in 2019 and I knew that one was a bit like an “exhibition game” whilst the other one meant everything.
Sure it was disappointing to lose to Portsmouth but the match didn’t deserve a whole episode in Sunderland ‘Til I Die.
Josh Maja is far from blameless for his surprise exit in January
Did anyone else get really annoyed when Josh Maja was being interviewed? There was an arrogance, a smugness about him. He was clearly happy to lead the club on until his Agent was able to secure him a big contract in France.
I do not blame Maja for leaving – I don’t. He’s a young lad who was offered an escape from League One football to play in France’s top-flight. Oh, and earn a shed load more money too. It’s certainly a shame and the moment he left, so did our hopes of promotion.
Sunderland were not good enough to get promoted in the 2018/19 season
There were better teams in the league. Look at Luton Town – they were much better than Sunderland all season and deserved their promotion.
All season long, Sunderland couldn’t cope with being a goal up. Other teams went on to win game 3-0+ when taking the lead. Sadly, the Sunderland squad wasn’t good enough to do this and we ended up drawing game after game as a result.
Something confused me considerably
Why did Stewart Donald keep mentioning selling the club? He had only been in charge for under a year? Why buy something you can’t afford? You won’t see me buy a car that I have to return after a few months!
Surely he didn’t have all his eggs in one basket – hoping, praying Sunderland got promoted or he was financially in turmoil? I don’t understand. Comment below if you do!
#HawayTheLads🔴⚪️
8 reasons you should get involved with Sunday League football when you’re in your 20’s and 30’s
Sunday League football is legendary. I was never a gifted player, but I was fortunate enough to manage a local team of friends for three years. What an amazing three year we had. There were stunning victories, embarrassing defeats and moments that still force me into an uncontrollable smile. Here is why you should never mock Sunday League football.
A kick-about with friends is always fun
Sunday League football is a reason to get a bunch of friends together and play football. What could be wrong with that? Football was always popular at school so why not get the gang together again and have some competitive matches on a Sunday? It really is a great way to stay in touch. As well as enjoying the football, you’re sure to enjoy the social element too. I’ll discuss the social side more in a bit.
When I was managing a team, I had quite a few parents tell me how wonderful they thought the whole thing was – and they were right. A lot of the lads had naturally fallen out of touch after school so it was great to bring the old crew back together again.
Good fitness
Playing football is unquestionably good for your fitness. Plus, if you take the game seriously, mid-week training sessions are another good source of exercise.
Winning is a great feeling
As a Sunderland fan, I’m not used to seeing the team that I follow win. However, some of the best victories in my life came as a manager of a Sunday League team!
The games were often intense. The effort the chaps put in was usually superb and the games where we battled to a narrow victory were the very best, in my opinion. Winning is a great feeling. And winning in a group with your pals is even better.
Build relationships with the local pub
Why not see if your local drinking establishment will sponsor your team? It’s great to have a social hub after games. And who knows – they may even put some food on for you if you drink enough!
Ongoing social events
The social element of Sunday League is probably what I enjoyed the most. We had frequent get-togethers, mid-season curries, Christmas celebrations and even a trip to Budapest.
Funnily enough – we even had a “crisis curry” when things weren’t going our way on the pitch. Almost unbelievably – it worked and we had a strong end to the season.
Any excuse would do to get the lads together for some food and drinks!
“Banter” and local rivalries
Where there is sport, there is rivalry. And this is no different when Sunday League is concerned. We always had a good relationship with the local team and played them once in a “friendly”. I can’t remember the score.
The biggest rivalries we had were against teams with particularly unpleasant players and staff. One team in particular comes to mind – but we definitely got the better of them.
Memories that will last a lifetime
It’s a given – you’ll witness some moments that will cause you to laugh uncontrollably. Open-goal misses. Mis-timed tackles. Stunning goals. On pitch arguments. Painful nutmegs. Unplanned air-shots. Ridiculous bicycle kicks. Celebrations that beggar belief. Goalkeeping blunders. Sunday League has it all!
It gets you out of bed in the morning and frees up the rest of your Sunday
What else would you be doing if you didn’t have to get up at 8:00am on a Sunday to play football? Sunday League allows you to get out of bed, play a game of footy and be home for a late lunch – freeing up the rest of the day to do whatever you please! Often, playing football on a Sunday can be seen as a burden, but this isn’t really the case.
#PurpleRain
Awesome features that every small website should take advantage of
Nifty Bear Web Design specialises in web design for small business. But, before we get to the sales pitch, have you considered some of the really awesome features that you can have on your new website? And, most importantly, none of these will break the bank!
Homepage slider
The homepage slider is usually the first thing that visitors will see when they go directly to your website. Therefore, this is your chance to grab their attention and present your company in just a couple of seconds. So, make this great opportunity count! We always put a lot of attention on the slider we make for our clients. For example, check out the MC Thermal Insultations home page. Their slider tells you everything you need to know about there business. And, so does the Sheridan Chambers slider (available here).
Space, space, space…
Again, this one is free! Having a well-spaced out website that flows naturally with consistent spacing is vital. It will help show the users that your business is tidy, contemporary and takes its image seriously. You may not consider this a feature as such, but have a look at competitor websites and I bet you’ll find some that look untidy due to a lack of spacing. This little tip will ensure you’re onto a winner and Nifty Bear will always include generous spacing when building websites – unless of course, you’re completely against it!
Mobile Optimisation
Have you ever been on a website using a mobile and thought to yourself – “wow, this is complete garbage!”?
In a world where almost every mobile phone seems to have a gigantic display, you simply cannot afford to have a website that is sluggish in small screens. Some “cowboy” web designers will add a load on top of your quote to make sure your site is “mobile-friendly”. Not us. Every Nifty Bear website is optimised to work seamlessly on all devices – desktop PCs, mobiles, tablets, and more!
Little, modern touches of class
Please visit the Nifty Bear homepage and reload it immediately. Then, slowly scroll down to the bottom. You’ll notice that as you scroll, parts of the page start to appear in unconventional ways. Some elements will smoothly rise from the bottom. Others will flash. One of the sections flies in from above. These are all little extras that can make your site look the real-deal. Our recommendation – don’t go OTT because you could de-value your brand by making it look a little bit tacky!
An easy to use contact form
Contact forms are important – very important. They need to be located in the right places on your website and they need to be easy to use. Take the Nifty Bear contact form, for example. We’re not saying it’s a masterpiece, but the user cannot go wrong when completing it! It’s simple, short and grabs all the information we need in order to get back to the person who submitted it.
Don’t take your contact forms for granted. Nifty Bear will help you create a form that is short, snappy and will maximise the number of conversions. We’re here to help!
Emails (getting the settings right behind the scenes is really important)
A lot of our clients are looking for a new business email set up to go alongside their new website. You know, something like name@business-name.com. This is something we can assist with. But there is more to emails than merely having a mailbox created.
Picture your website. When somebody completes one of the contact forms on your website, you will receive an email with their information. And, the person who has submitted the form will also get an email (if you want them to) saying something along the lines of – “Thank you for contacting us – we’ll be in touch shortly”.
Frequently, we see the email that is sent to you and the email that is sent to your client go directly to the spam folder. However, this can be avoided by arranging every email that is sent via your website (the contact forms) to be sent directly from your own business email address – rather than being sent from the website itself. This will reduce the chance of outgoing emails arriving in spam folders and being identified as “junk”. We can help set this up for you.
Eye-catching images – not generic “stock” photographs
Do you need us to fill out your website with some cheesy “stock” images? Sure – we can do that for you. However, through experience, real photos of your business and examples of your work will make a real difference and a lasting impression on your audience.
For example, Nifty Bear Web Design made a site for a local business – RD Designs. Please check out their portfolio page. It looks fantastic because the photos are all genuine and showcase what RD Designs is all about. And, we can help make these photos look even more glorious by optimising their quality and presentation.
Who would you trust more – a company who only use stock images? Or, a company that uses real pictures that show what they’ve achieved? Stock images serve a purpose, but don’t rely solely on them.
Site-wide calls to action
It’s a great idea to have multiple calls to action throughout your website. These can be subtle, or large and ‘in-your-face’. It’s really up to you. Remember, your website is there to show your clients what you are all about, and to try and generate new business as well. The more links you have to a contact form – the better. Actually, that’s not strictly true. Don’t be “spammy” and oversell your offerings.
A tidy and sticky menu
The menu is effectively the sat nav of your website. It is the way your potential clients navigate around your site and find the information they need. As a result, it goes without saying that it’s essential to have a clear and easy-to-use one!
The Nifty Bear website uses a sticky menu – meaning it’s always on show – no matter where you are on the page. Give it a try. Scroll to the very bottom of this blog and you’ll notice the menu is still showing at the top of the page. This is a sticky menu. It’s definitely not a necessity and you may decide you don’t like this type of menu. However, definitely consider it because they’re a popular choice on modern websites.
Obvious links to social media
There is no question that small businesses should have a strong presence on social media. Therefore, make sure your profiles are obvious throughout your website. We recommend having them at the top of your site (in the top bar), as well as on the contact page and the website footer.
Interested in making your next website idea a reality? Contact Nifty Bear today!
Nifty Bear Web Design specialise in the design and build of contemporary websites for small businesses. Whatever your trade, please get in contact with us today and we’d be delighted to provide you with a quick quotation! Please give us a call (07896 748 953), send us an email (info@niftybear.co.uk) or contact us online by clicking here.
Oh, and if we ask nicely – any chance you could follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram? All social media links are available in the header and footer of this web page.
What are the ongoing costs associated with websites?
It’s a good idea to identify the ongoing expenditure associated with keeping a website online. It can sometimes be a misconception that once the site has been built and paid for – that’s it. However, there are some ongoing costs you should be aware of and paying on time to avoid complications. Our blog explains…
Domain name
Your domain name is your websites address and identity. In our case, “niftybear.co.uk”.
Purchasing a domain name is easy and the process can be competed in minutes on popular sites such as 123 Reg and GoDaddy. Typically, companies will offer you a fantastically low price for purchasing your domain for the first year – some as low as 99p. Whilst still cheap, be aware that the price of your domain is likely to increase after year one to roughly £10 to £30 per year.
You may also be interested in purchasing domain expiration protection. This will protect your domain if for whatever reason, you are unable to renew it straight away. Some providers will put it up for sale immediately if you have not paid for renewal. This is the last thing you want because somebody could potentially buy your domain and it will no longer be available. You can get domain expiration protection from a majority of domain supplier.
Hosting
In order for a website to be live, it needs to be hosted on a server. Most commonly, web design companies use trustworthy cloud based servers to store your website and it’s database (all the files that have been put together to build your website).
The price of hosting varies depending on your website. For example, if you have a very high-tech and large site, you’ll use more bandwidth and therefore will need to pay for more affluent hosting. If on the other hand you have a small and crisp site, hosting can be low cost.
On average, you should expect to pay between £10 and £45 per month for hosting.
SSL certificate
An SSL certificate is something that sites should always have. This will allow users to securely interact with your website and the information exchanged will be encrypted. In order for a website to be SEO friendly, and if you deal with online financial transactions, it is highly recommended that you get an SSL certificate.
SSL certificates vary in price but can cost anything between £10 and £100 per year.
General maintenance
At Nifty Bear Web Design, we build our sites on WordPress – one of the most popular CMS systems in the world. WordPress sites are built using a collection of plugins and extensions. For example, if you want a carousel on your website, the most effective way to get one is to use a plugin and adapt it accordingly.
In order for plugins to continue to work properly, they need to be regularly updated. The developers of plugins are always looking to improve them and make them secure against potential security breaches. Therefore, it’s very important your website is regularly updated.
The price of ongoing updates will vary depending on your web developer. However, you should expect to pay anything from £20 – £200 per month, depending on your exact requirements.
Backups
Unfortunately, where there are websites, there are hackers. We can confirm firsthand that if a website is hacked, it can have disastrous effects. Therefore, it’s important to take precautions to make a hack unlikely.
In order to limit the chances of being hacked, Nifty Bear will set up a series of security barriers – as standard and included in the price for all of our websites. This includes a monthly website backup that can be used to re-upload your site to a previous date.
Additional backups and protection is available and if you are interested in finding out more, please contact us today.