UK pay on track to trail inflation for 15th month in a row as cost of living crisis bites March 13, 2023 Wages are on track to trail inflation for the 15th month in a row, underscoring how much pressure the cost of living crisis is piling onto household finances, official figures out on Tuesday are expected to show. Regular pay growth is projected to trim to 6.6 per cent over the three months to February, down [...]
Swelling debt interest bill fashions second highest April government borrowing on record at £25.6bn May 23, 2023 A near £10bn debt interest bill helped to push UK borrowing to the second highest monthly total for April since records began in 1993, official figures out today reveal. The government took on an additional £25.6bn of debt last month, above market expectations and up from £13.7bn in the same month last year, according to [...]
Brits set for painful hikes to energy bills despite more support, warn analysts November 19, 2022 Household energy bills will continue to rise next year from record levels this winter, warns specialist group Cornwall Insight.
Why pension trustees need to embrace a ‘win-win’ and back British firms May 16, 2024 Pension trustees must embrace a “win-win” and begin backing Britain’s homegrown tech companies if younger Brits are to retire with comfortable pension pots, the founding chief of the British Business Bank has warned.
Calls to cut taxes show ‘questionable judgement’, economists warn August 23, 2023 Economists have warned that calls from Conservative MPs for Chancellor Jeremy Hunt to cut taxes after improved borrowing data emerged show “questionable judgement”. Three backbench Conservatives piled the pressure on, according to the Financial Times, with calls for “personal tax reductions” to “stimulate the economy”. The pleas came after figures from the Office for National [...]
What windfall? North Sea levy generated £600m less than expected in December January 25, 2023 The new windfall tax on North Sea oil and gas operators failed to generate the expected takings last month, confirmed the OBR.
Foreign secretary: PM Liz Truss made mistakes but has also learnt lessons October 19, 2022 Foreign Secretary James Cleverly has come out fighting for Liz Truss, saying she has “learnt lessons” and had the “humility to make changes.” Speaking on Sky News this morning, he batted down talk of a new prime minister amid speculation backbenchers are plotting behind the scenes. “What I’m far from convinced by is that going [...]
Difficult decision to come from Sunak and Hunt on bank surcharge October 30, 2022 The government has not ruled out reversing a tax cut on the UK’s biggest banks as it scrambles to overfill a huge hole in the public finances. Asked today by City A.M. if chancellor Jeremy Hunt and prime minister Rishi Sunak would commit to cutting the bank surcharge, an effective windfall tax, the Treasury said [...]
A solution to Britain’s investment doldrums is right under the noses of politicians October 13, 2023 After weeks of speeches, neither sides of politics have found time to back the financial services sector in the City of London, writes Charles Hall
All Rishi Sunak’s Tory leadership policies now under review November 2, 2022 All of Rishi Sunak’s pledged policies during the Tory leadership contest are now under review, Number 10 has said. The Prime Minister’s spokesperson today said “we’re looking at all” of his campaign promises from just two months ago and “considering whether now is the right time to take them forward”. Number 10 also told journalists [...]