Rachel Reeves has pushed for an “ambitious” youth migration deal with the EU in a bid to improve the outlook of the public finances ahead of the autumn Budget.

The chancellor told the Times an exchange scheme for young workers would be “good for the economy, good for growth and good for business”.

The UK agreed to work towards a “youth experience visa” with the EU in May this year but the specifics of the scheme are still being negotiated.

Reeves also called for the Office of Budget Responsibility (OBR) to factor the potential economic impact of such a scheme into its forecasts ahead of the Budget, which she hopes will reduce the need for spending cuts or tax rises.

The proposal has previously been criticised by the Conservatives and Reform UK, who have said it amounts to a partial return to freedom of movement, which ended when the UK left the EU.

Such a scheme could mean those aged 18-30 could stay for two or three years, but the details are to be negotiated.

In an interview with the Times ahead of the Labour Party’s conference in Liverpool this week, the chancellor declined to specify how many visas could be issued annually under the scheme.

The UK already has similar schemes with 11 countries including Australia, New Zealand and Japan, with people able to stay for up to three years depending on where they apply from.

Under those agreements, the UK issued just over 24,000 youth mobility visas in 2024.

The OBR has previously scored UK growth down by 4% due to the original Brexit deal.

The chancellor believes that has set a precedent and that the OBR should include the projected economic upsides of a youth mobility scheme into its upcoming forecast.

Referencing the agreement between London and Brussels earlier this year, Reeves told the Times: “As a result of that reset in May, we think the economy will be stronger. We also want the OBR to score that.”

The OBR will send its first economic forecast to the treasury on Friday, which will include the gap the chancellor will need to make up in her 26 November Budget.

Much is depending on the OBR’s expected downgrade to the underlying long-term performance of the economy, or productivity. The gap could be £20 or £30 billion per year.

In response, the chancellor has stressed a series of measures aimed to help the economy grow faster, including further trade deals.

If accepted by the independent forecasters, the inclusion of the proposed EU youth mobility scheme into its calculations could theoretically limit the extent of any new tax rises.

The OBR has scored policy moves on house building and childcare as helpful to the economy in recent years.

Speculation has been rife that the chancellor will be forced to raise taxes or cut spending in order to fill the fiscal hole, despite Labour’s election promise not to increase income tax, National Insurance or VAT for working people.

New Delhi: The recently approved Integrated State and City Logistics Plan will help achieve India’s sustainability goals through the adoption of low- and zero-emission vehicles and the establishment of low-emission freight zones, reports have said. 

The government launched the plan in collaboration with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in eight cities across eight states, which will focus on evaluating existing logistics infrastructure, identifying bottlenecks, and preparing a roadmap for improvement.

The Centre has chosen Ludhiana, Shimla, Jaipur, Indore, Patna, Visakhapatnam, Bhubaneswar and Guwahati to develop integrated state and city logistics plans as part of a programme led by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), according to reports.

The logistics planners will prioritise freight demands from local retailers and e-commerce players, focusing on truck terminals, urban roads, and efficient last-mile delivery systems.

According to officials, these plans will later be replicated across the country to ensure seamless goods movement and stronger supply chain resilience.

The Asian Development Bank is offering technical support to align state-level logistics strategies with city freight networks and broader mobility goals.

Officials said that the dual focus on connecting growth hubs to major trunk routes at the state level and upgrading urban freight systems at the city level will enhance supply chain efficiency.

Sustainability measures being considered include the adoption of low- and zero-emission vehicles for last-mile delivery and implementation of noise-reduction measures.

DPIIT highlighted the importance of automation and data-driven decision-making in improving operational efficiency, cutting costs, and ensuring transparency in freight movement.

The planning for the project will take 6 to 8 months, a DPIIT official had informed, adding that if the plans are approved, the government may seek other support from the ADB for implementation.

The Eden Project has revealed tumbling visitor numbers and losses more than doubling after a difficult year that saw the attraction axe jobs.

The Cornish ecological centre reported a 10% drop in visitors in the year to March 31, to 543,000 compared with 604,000 the previous year, as it faced “more challenging trading conditions in South West tourism”.

The group slumped deeper into the red with pre-tax losses of £3.5 million, against losses of £1.5 million the previous year, according to the latest set of filed accounts.

It said it carried out a “major restructuring”, which led to 75 jobs being cut.

“The purpose of this was to implement some operating efficiencies and to reduce employment costs,” the group said.

The firm, whose attraction is based near St Austell in Cornwall, warned over job cuts in January as it looked to cut its wage bill by around 20%.

In its latest accounts, it flagged the “general inflationary impact of the UK Government budget 2024 and specifically the increase in the costs of national insurance contributions from April”.

The Eden Project in Cornwall is famed for its bubble-like structures and giant domes that house thousands of plant species.

It was designed by architect Sir Nicholas Grimshaw, who died earlier this month at the age of 85.

Despite the tough year for trading, the Eden Project said that for many, it is “seen as a ‘must visit’ location as well as ‘doing something new/out of the ordinary’”.

“Therefore, as in previous years, we saw a large proportion of first-time visitors along with welcoming back seasoned visitors,” it added.

The group said restructuring efforts have helped put the business on a more stable footing for the year ahead.

Andy Jasper, chief executive of Eden Project, said: “Proactive measures we took in 2024-2025 enabled us to stabilise our business through restructuring and control of costs.”

As it heads into its 25th year, he said 2026 will be “pivotal” for the group as it also looks to make the “long-awaited” start to construction of its new eco attraction, Eden Project Morecambe in Lancashire, which is expected to open in 2028.