On Monday, 1 December 2025, we had the pleasure of hosting our Annual Post-Budget Dinner at the elegant Corrigan's Mayfair. The evening brought together some of our contacts from the worlds of accountancy, investment management, tax and financial advice for an insightful discussion on the Autumn Budget and its implications.
Merryn Somerset Webb, Senior Columnist at Bloomberg Opinion and founder of Moneyweek, the UK's best-selling financial magazine, joined us to share her expert analysis. With a career spanning roles as Editor-in-Chief of Moneyweek and contributing editor at the Financial Times, Merryn is widely regarded as one of the UK's most respected voices in financial journalism. Her award-winning podcast Merryn Talks Money is now entering its fourth year.
Merryn's talk focused on the tax issues emerging from the Autumn Budget, offering guests not only a deep dive into the technicalities but also broader commentary on the current economic landscape.
One of the more controversial aspects of the Budget is that by 2029-30 the welfare bill will exceed income tax revenues. That caused thoughts to turn to whether the working age population would tolerate that and whether the Henrys and Henriettas (shorthand for young professionals who are High Earners, Not Rich Yet) would be looking to leave the UK. Polling suggests that many had already been thinking about this before the Budget and thoughts might be crystallising now.
Discussion of the 'Mansion Tax' left some wondering whether the practicalities of implementation for a relatively low level of tax would mean it was not viable and might not come to fruition as planned in April 2028. The levy on EV mileage set to start from 2028 was met with similar caution.
Merryn's insights sparked thoughtful discussion around the table, with guests engaging in lively conversation and sharing their own perspectives.
We even touched on what a Lib/Lab/Green or a Conservative/Reform coalition might look like in the future – a conversation to continue another time.
It was a real pleasure to host an evening which fostered meaningful conversation and provided valuable analysis of a pivotal moment in the financial calendar. We are grateful to everyone who attended and contributed to the evening's success.
If you have any questions about the event or would like to discuss the Autumn Budget's implications further, please don't hesitate to get in touch with us at Hunters Law. You can also see a round-up of our Budget commentary on ourAutumn Budget Hub.