More businesses to go bust after today’s rate rise as £2bn is added to borrowing costs overnight August 4, 2022 With the Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee increasing its base rate by another 0.5 per cent to 1.75 per cent, UK businesses face an immediate increase in interest payments of more than £2bn. Analysis of Bank of England data shows UK businesses are currently paying £14bn annually in interest payments on their £409bn in floating rate [...]
Hospitality hit ‘from both sides’ of energy price crisis as number of insolvent firms shoots up September 18, 2022 There has been a huge spike in the number of company insolvencies in the past year by 72 per cent, as hospitality bears the brunt of soaring energy bills. New figures from the Insolvency Service show pubs, bars and restaurants have been the worst affected, being “from both sides” by the cost of living crisis. [...]
UK banks’ increasing reliance on short term funds is concerning, experts warn October 3, 2023 Banks in the UK are increasing their reliance on short-term funding, with experts warning that regulators need to prevent financial stability risks from emerging.
UK must balance innovation with safety to help firms adopt AI, tech bosses say June 19, 2023 The UK must not let safety concerns about the use of artificial intelligence (AI) fall by the wayside as it pushes for a pro-innovation model for regulating the technology, tech bosses have warned. Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has reportedly told ministers to speed up the adoption of AI across the private and public sector, including the [...]
UK travel bankruptcies on the rise as Omicron and staycations scupper sector’s recovery February 14, 2022 The UK’s travel sector is still suffering from the impacts of Covid, according to new figures from accountancy company Mazars, which show that travel sector insolvencies are on the rise. In January, 15 travel companies went into insolvency, up from nine in December, Mazars’ figures show. The recent rise in the number of insolvencies comes [...]
UK mortgage arrears hit highest level in more than 12 years as debts to banks creep past record £2bn June 15, 2022 The value of mortgage arrears in the UK has reached its highest level since 2010, with £2.05bn of mortgage debt delinquent at the end of the first quarter of 2022, according to new data shared with City A.M. this morning. As interest rate rises and the cost-of-living crisis hit household finances, more families are now [...]
Regulators should measure ‘burden’ of decisions after legislative overhaul, industry says July 5, 2023 Finance groups have called for regulators to report on a new range of metrics to ensure they are meeting their statutory obligations. After the Financial Services and Markets Bill passed into law last week, regulators will have hugely increased responsibility for adapting and amending onshored EU regulations. As part of the Bill, regulators will have [...]
Retail and construction insolvencies soar against backdrop of supply chain pressures and war in Ukraine March 15, 2022 Soaring material costs have led to a steep rise in insolvencies in the retail and construction industries of almost 50 per cent. The war in Ukraine and its impact on rising fuel prices, brought concerns over supply chains pressures into sharp focus this week, new research from tax and audit specialists Mazars has shown. During [...]
Exclusive: Building suppliers issued the most petitions during the pandemic February 2, 2022 Building suppliers dished out the most winding-up petitions to companies owing them cash during Covid, exclusive data has revealed. Audit, tax and advisory firm Mazars said building suppliers made up 28 per cent of all winding-up petitions filed since February 2020. During the pandemic, troubled construction firms often failed to pay owed cash to merchants. [...]
Exclusive: UK government partners with Kindeva in £33m inhaler technology revolution post-pandemic August 3, 2023 The UK government has joined forces with inhaler manufacturers Kindeva Drug Delivery, in a £33m injection to revolutionise inhaler technology post-pandemic. The joint investment aims to produce “eco-friendly” inhalers and create over 250 “high-skilled” jobs in the UK after the Covid-19 exposed a window of opportunity. In the March 2020 dawn of the pandemic, demand [...]