OBR: UK is already in recession and taxes on course for post World War II high November 17, 2022 The UK is already in a recession that will burn a huge hole in the public finances, forcing the government to hike taxes to their highest level since just after the Second World War in the 1940s, the country’s fiscal watchdog warned today in forecasts published alongside Jeremy Hunt’s autumn statement. The Office for Budget [...]
UK consumers ‘left in the dark’ over post-Brexit trade deals October 6, 2021 More than two-thirds of UK consumers feel left in the dark about post-Brexit trade deals amid public concerns the government is failing to take into account key consumer concerns. According to a survey published today, the majority of the British public is concerned that the government is not providing enough information on trade negotiations, with [...]
Decade-high inflation print dials up pressure on Bank of England to hike rates December 15, 2021 Pressure on the Bank of England to hike rates is dialling up amid swelling energy bills causing inflation to skyrocket to its highest level in over a decade. The cost of living climbed to 5.1 per cent last month, according to data released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) today, smashing analysts’ expectations and [...]
The City View: Michael Hewson on problematic consumer spending growth May 17, 2022 Today Andy Silvester talks to Michael Hewson, Chief Market Analyst at CMC Markets. They unpick the latest wage and labour figures, analyse Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey’s comments at the Treasury select committee, go through inflation predictions for 2022, and discuss why current consumer spending growth in the US and UK will be problematic [...]
Top Bank of England rate setter warns inflation will breach five per cent soon December 6, 2021 A top rate setter at the Bank of England has today warned inflation will soar far above the Old Lady’s target and breach five per cent. Ben Broadbent, a deputy governor at the Bank, said in a speech in Leeds “in the spring of next year… [inflation] will probably climb comfortably through five per cent, [...]
Shepherd Neame: Pubs will be resilient against inflation spike November 9, 2021 Pubs will be resilient against rising inflation, Shepherd Neame CEO Jonathan Neame has said. “I think people are more likely to cut down on big ticket items like houses and expensive holidays. Historically beer and pubs have been pretty resilient,” Neame told CityA.M. Data from Barlcaycard revealed yesterday that Brits had been cutting back on [...]
Care workers pay boost isn’t just about saying thank you, it’s about levelling up March 11, 2021 This week, as the nation takes its first tentative steps out of lockdown, older people living in care homes are connecting with loved ones in ways that haven’t been possible for the past year. Care services have always been an essential part of our lives and our communities, yet for many people they existed in [...]
CBI chief: Spectre of inflation is ‘very real’ and larger than we thought November 22, 2021 The chief of the influential business group the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has warned that inflation is “very real” and is threatening to squeeze British firms. Speaking at the CBI’s annual conference, the group’s director general Tony Danker warned that pay hikes will “spill over” into prices, intensifying the cost of living crisis pinching [...]
Interview: Former rate setter Andrew Sentance on Governor Bailey’s ‘off the cuff’ remarks and where the BoE went wrong March 16, 2022 It is often a mark of how dire an economy’s situation is when incremental rises in interest rates hit the front pages. The worst cost of living crunch in a generation has, however, sent the Bank of England to the front of many households’ minds. Those outside of the City care less about the vagaries [...]
Jobs paying below ‘real living wage’ fall to seven-year low November 4, 2019 The proportion of jobs that pay below the so-called real living wage has fallen to a seven-year low, analysis by professional services firm KPMG showed today. Read more: Sajid Javid promises to increase national living wage to £10.50 This year, 19 per cent of UK jobs paid below the voluntary rate of £9.00 per hour [...]