Banks and housebuilders bear brunt of market chaos September 29, 2022 Wild swings in UK debt markets and concern over borrowers’ capacity to pay costlier mortgages have whacked London-listed housebuilders and banks this week. Britain’s biggest property developers have been among the hardest hit listed companies during this week’s market sell-off. FTSE 100-listed construction firms Taylor Wimpey and Barratt Developments have shed more than 20 per [...]
As Starmer dreams of Downing Street, beware of sweeping electoral reform September 29, 2022 Labour can finally start dreaming about being able to form a majority government at the next election. So it may seem odd timing for the party’s conference to endorse electoral reform for the first time in nearly a hundred years.
House prices may tumble a fifth if Bank of England hikes rates steeply, economists warn September 27, 2022 House prices could tumble as much as 21 per cent if the Bank of England is forced to hike interest rates steeply in response to the government’s tax and borrowing splurge fuelling inflation, City economists have warned. Mortgage affordability – the ratio of a home purchase loan to the size of the borrower’s income – [...]
A new Tory green agenda has to be stubbornly pro-growth September 27, 2022 In 1990, Margaret Thatcher called for action on climate change, remarking that we all need to “make changes and sacrifices, so that we do not live at the expense of future generations”. The key question is whether Truss will follow in the footsteps of her idol, or take more inspiration from Thatcher’s climate sceptic Chancellor [...]
Pound slides after Bank of England bats away emergency rate hike pressure September 26, 2022 Sterling collapsed to an all time low this morning as investor confidence evaporated in the wake of the government’s plans to slash taxes and ramp up borrowing in a ‘mini-budget’ last week.
Kwarteng marks himself out as the most radical Chancellor since Lawson September 23, 2022 When Kwasi Kwarteng said he wanted to go for growth, it appears he meant it. Some will say the tax reforms announced today are ‘unfunded’ and reckless. Others will say it’s not the time for changes to banker’s pay. But in his ambition and his vision of a competitive Britain, the Chancellor has placed the [...]
Kwarteng makes permanent cut to stamp duty in a bid to drive growth September 23, 2022 Kwasi Kwarteng confirmed stamp duty would be slashed from today in a bid to drive growth and boost confidence in the economy. Announcing his mini-budget, Kwarteng said: “Today’s statement is about growth. Home ownership is the most common route for people to own an asset, giving them a stake in the success of our economy [...]
Liz Truss cost of living support fails to prevent new consumer confidence low September 23, 2022 Liz Truss’s cost of living support has done nothing to lift Brits’ optimism out of the doldrums, a closely watched survey published today reveals. Consumer confidence collapsed five points over the last month to minus 49, the lowest since research firm GfK started tracking the figures in 1974. The survey was carried out between early [...]
Kwarteng vows ‘new era’ as he prepares to unveil tax-cutting mini-Budget September 22, 2022 Kwasi Kwarteng will tomorrow outline the biggest package of UK tax cuts in more than 30 years as a part of the government’s bid to launch a Thatcherite economic revolution. The chancellor today confirmed he would axe this year’s 1.25 percentage point increase in National Insurance in tomorrow’s mini-Budget and he is expected to cancel [...]
Are you ready for multidimensional metaverses? September 22, 2022 Dr Chris Kacher explains how recession and on-risk assets are heading towards multidimensional metaverses.