ULEZ expansion ‘not the answer’: Rebel boroughs Harrow and Bromley warn Khan of impact on ‘poorest and vulnerable’ February 7, 2023 Harrow and Bromley councils have responded to a letter from Sadiq Khan over the expansion of ULEZ, warning of its impact on the poorest. Harrow councillor Paul Osborn wrote to Khan earlier this week, reiterating that the expansion of the ultra-low emission zone (ULEZ) to include the whole of Greater London was “not the answer” [...]
Liz Truss or Rishi Sunak face once in a century living standards crisis September 1, 2022 Liz Truss or Rishi Sunak are set to oversee the steepest fall in living standards in a century after one of them enters Number 10 next Monday, a fresh report published today reveals. Brits are on course to be £3,000 worse off by the end of 2024 as soaring energy bills and inflation eat into [...]
Bank of England’s interest rate rise at noon: Brokers and agents across the City give their two cents August 4, 2022 The governor of the Bank of England, Andrew Bailey, and the rest of the monetary policy committee will hike interest rates 50 basis points today at 12pm. The main reason? Living costs are up 9.4 per cent over the last year, crimping households and businesses and threatening to plunge the UK economy into recession. Energy [...]
Natwest’s profits soar as high interest rates boost bank’s mortgage business April 29, 2022 Natwest today said its profits had almost doubled since the previous quarter, despite inflation, the cost-of-living crisis, and the war in Ukraine. The bank said it had generated £841m in profits in the first quarter of 2022, up 93.8 per cent compared to the £434m in profits Natwest posted in Q4 2021. The first quarter [...]
Asda launches new and larger value range and kills off Smart Price in race to kickstart stalling growth March 29, 2022 Supermarket giant Asda, which was bought by the Issa brothers and backers TDR Capital last year, said this afternoon it will axe its Smart Price range and replace it with new Just Essentials by Asda products. In fact, Asda is launching a new and larger value range, amid the cost of living crisis, as the [...]
Broadband giants told to do more as eight million homes struggle to pay bills September 29, 2022 The media regulator has called on broadband firms to do more to help struggling households, as more than eight million homes struggle to pay their bills. According to a new Ofcom study, nearly a third (29 per cent) of customers are having problems paying for their phone, broadband, pay-TV and streaming bills, doubling since 2021 to the highest figure [...]
Labour shadow transport minister defies party and joins striking train workers July 27, 2022 Labour’s shadow minister for buses and local transport has defied Keir Starmer’s orders not to join picket lines for striking workers. Sam Tarry justified his decision speaking on Good Morning Britain this morning, saying: “If we don’t make a stand today, people’s lives could be lost.” This comes after Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, who [...]
Britain hurtling toward long economic slump and record living standards squeeze September 6, 2022 Britain is sinking into a long economic slump that will deal the biggest hit to household finances on record, a new report released today shows. A historic inflation surge led by sky-high energy bills is set to tip the country into a recession this year, wiping off £2,000 of Brits’ real take home pay, according [...]
Currys told to ditch price lock by shareholder to increase margins July 31, 2022 Currys has been told to ditch its “price lock” commitment and make goods more expensive by a veteran hedge fund manager amid the cost of living crisis. Crispin Odey, who holds a substantial stake in the firm, said “freezers and washing machines are going to have to be more expensive as they are currently being [...]
Heathrow assures Border Force strikes won’t impact travellers as activity falls December 12, 2022 Heathrow has assured travellers that their journeys will be unaffected by Border Force strikes, as the number of people using the airport falls. Last week, Border Force staff working at several UK airports agreed to strike over the Christmas period in a long-standing dispute over jobs and pay. Members of the union PCS will walk [...]