Long Covid-19 deals £1.5bn blow to workers, IFS finds July 27, 2022 Britons suffering from long Covid-19 are missing out on £1.5bn in earnings as a result of being too ill to work, a new study published today reveals. Some 110,000 workers are missing from work because they are on sick leave with lingering symptoms of the virus, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS). Each [...]
Cost to rent a home jumps largest-ever amount in past year, says statistics body June 22, 2022 The cost to rent a home has increased by the largest-ever amount over the past 12-months, according to the latest figures from the national statistics body. Average rental prices paid by tenants in the UK has jumped by 2.8 per cent in the year to May, the Office for National Statistics revealed this morning, marking [...]
Number 10: Johnson will not outline a cost of living package this summer August 8, 2022 Number 10 has confirmed that Boris Johnson will not be announcing an emergency package of measures to help Brits being squeezed by the worsening cost of living crisis. Johnson’s official spokesman today said “it will be for a future Prime Minister to decide whether … measures are required”. It comes after former Prime Minister Gordon [...]
Tech Weekly: Alex Marsh, Head of Klarna UK, on post-Brexit financial regulation, consumer protection, and difference between Klarna and credit cards April 8, 2022 On this week’s Tech Weekly episode, City A.M. reporters Charlie Conchie and Lily Russell-Jones chat to Alex Marsh, Head of Klarna UK. They go through the Innovate Finance fintech summit, Buy Now Pay Later regulation and the UK’s financial regulation post-Brexit; measures needed to protect consumers from debt; what role services such as Klarna are [...]
Explainer: Labour’s plans for education, from breakfast clubs to private schools July 3, 2023 This week is very much education and health week. We celebrate the 75th anniversary of the NHS on Wednesday, while teachers go on strike on the same day and on Friday too. Labour is focusing on education, with a big speech from Keir Starmer expected later this week on opportunities and access. This means Shadow [...]
Avatar’s success gives boost to struggling cinemas but future is still uncertain January 23, 2023 The highly anticipated Avatar sequel has ranked as the sixth-highest grossing movie ever, giving cinemas a much needed boost, although some analysts warn they are not yet in the clear. After six weeks on the big screens, “Avatar: The Way of Water” surpassed a staggering £1.6bn ($2bn) in box office sales on Sunday, Disney estimates. [...]
London faces higher inflation than rest of UK, new figures show August 22, 2022 Astronomical renting costs in the capital have led to a higher inflation rate in London than the rest of the UK, according to new figures released by City Hall. The figures show underlying inflation has been 1.5 per cent higher in London than the rest of the country over the past six months, after annual [...]
Cost of living: Morrisons follows Tesco and Asda in announcing fuel price cut of 6p per litre August 3, 2022 Morrisons is the latest supermarket to announce it is slashing the price of fuel, as households struggle to stay afloat amid a cost of living crisis. The retailer said on Wednesday that it had cut the cost of unleaded and diesel by an average of six pence a litre over the last week at all [...]
Today: Bank of England to push interest rates to 13-year high to slow cost crunch and inflation May 5, 2022 Interest rates are expected to be hiked once again later today to their highest level for 13 years as the Bank of England battles to cool rocketing inflation. The Bank’s policymakers are predicted to increase rates from 0.75 per cent to 1 per cent – a level not seen since early 2009 – and ramp [...]
Week ahead: UK January borrowing bill to hit £5bn to pay for cost of living support, experts predict February 19, 2023 Britain is expected to have borrowed around £5bn last month, largely to pay for household energy support, new figures out from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) this week are poised to show. The difference between what the government spends and takes in tax revenue – the deficit – is likely to have been kept [...]