Business secretary: Windfall tax not the answer May 1, 2022 Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng has voiced firm opposition to a windfall tax on oil and gas companies despite Chancellor Rishi Sunak raising the possibility. The Cabinet minister was adamant that it would be a “disincentive” to investment by energy giants despite his colleague in the Treasury using the threat to encourage spending, as their profits [...]
Asda boasts earnings and cash flow growth as low prices and loyalty apps win over consumers April 22, 2024 The firm pointed to the success of its loyalty app scheme, lower opening price points and the Just Essentials range.
Stagnant wages since 2008 financial crash means workers £11,000 worse off, BBC Panorama reveals March 20, 2023 Workers are £11,000 worse off per year due to 15 years of wage stagnation, according to the Resolution Foundation. In new figures shared with BBC Panorama, the think tank calculated that, had wages continued to grow at the pace seen before the 2008 financial crash, the average worker would make £11,000 more per year than [...]
More Brits feel disengaged, demotivated or anxious as rising cost of living feeds stress levels May 25, 2022 Our headlines in recent weeks have been dominated by the latest inflation figures, reaching a 40 year high of 9 per cent, as well as the cost of living crisis, which is raging on. As the nation and the media come to terms with the prospect of a recession, one crucial impact of the UK’s [...]
Starmer pledges new publicly owned energy firm as he says ‘this is a Labour moment’ September 27, 2022 Sir Keir Starmer has pledged to create a new publicly owned energy generation company if Labour wins the next election as he declares this is a “Labour moment” like 1997 and 1964. Starmer said the new company would be called Great British Energy and that it would take “advantage of the opportunities in clean British [...]
Poundland owner: UK shoppers particularly wounded by higher bills due to stagnant wage growth June 9, 2022 Poundland owner Pepco has said consumers in the UK have been particularly wounded by higher costs of living, impacting spending. Pepco, which also owns discount retailer Dealz, said higher wages in Central and Eastern European markets were significantly offsetting inflationary pressures. However, in the Western European markets, stagnant wage growth had led to shoppers paring [...]
Open banking should expand ‘systematically’ as fintech criticises ‘data protectionism’ of big banks August 14, 2023 Regulators should expand open banking rules “systematically” in order to save customers thousands of pounds across a variety of different financial products, experts told City AM. With stakeholders consulting on the next stages of open banking, many in the sector have suggested regulators need to be bold in expanding data sharing rules into new financial [...]
Hospitality firms blast government migration plans for ‘shrinking talent pool’ December 5, 2023 The UK’s hospitality industry has warned that government plans to cut the levels of legal migration into the country will compound the existing labour shortage in the sector.
Misery index gives cause for hope September 23, 2024 There is an unmistakable inverse correlation between emiserating factors like unemployment, wages and house prices and consumer confidence, but new analysis suggests things may be looking up, says James Sproule The cost-of-living crisis may be difficult to define or quantify, but it is easy enough to feel – and misery has been felt not just [...]
Jon Robinson’s UK column: Giving a national voice to companies beyond the M25 January 12, 2024 Read the first edition of Jon Robinson's UK column - outlining how City AM is shining a light on business success outside of the M25.