Following a barrage of pre-budget leaks, Chancellor Reeves has confirmed a sizeable uplift in the National Living Wage, marking Labour's return to fiscal stewardship with a resounding bang. This wage hike represents a significant gamble by the government to address income inequality and boost consumer spending without driving renewed inflationary pressures. With a stated goal of boosting growth, this increased consumer spending power could boost retail and consumer discretionary sectors, helping to stimulate the UK economy.

However, the UK is quickly moving towards one of the highest minimum wage levels relative to median earnings among OECD countries, fostering a challenging environment of increased labour costs for UK businesses. Consequently, the success of this policy will depend on how well the economy can adapt to these higher wage levels, the extent to which productivity gains can offset increased costs, and the government's ability to provide targeted support where needed.