Private sector slump to drag on to Spring 2026, businesses say Business UK business leaders have warned that the sharp downturn in the private sector is likely to continue until Spring 2026, after firms put plans for future investment on ice in the run-up to the Labour government’s Autumn Budget. The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) anticipates private sector output to fall in the fourth quarter after [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Budget hits hiring market as economy feels pinch Markets Good morning and welcome back to the City AM liveblog. On Friday, the Labour government’s mission for economic growth proved to be not just sluggish but in free fall. The latest figures published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) dealt another blow to Rachel Reeves as new data showed production output shrank 0.5 per [...]
Autumn Budget: B&Q boss hands Reeves tool kit for growth Retail Ahead of the Autumn Budget, City Reporter Samuel Norman sits down with top industry names for a Budget Briefing. This week, the boss of retail stalwart B&Q warns truly fixing the foundations starts with building confidence. After Labour’s monumental 2024 general election sweep, Chancellor Rachel Reeves seized her economic tool kit, telling Britons she was “fixing [...]
Brits confidence in European economy outpaces UK as Budget fears grow November 11, 2025 Brits have admitted to having more confidence in the strength of the European and global economy than the UK as Budget fears consume the country. Fresh Barclays research has revealed Brits confidence in the European economy has ranked above the UK for the tenth consecutive month. Of the 2,000 surveyed, 22 per cent had faith [...]
Autumn Budget: Reeves must cure British ‘pessimism’ disease November 5, 2025 Ahead of the Autumn Budget, City Reporter Samuel Norman sits down with top industry names for a Budget Briefing. This week, chief executive of Peel Hunt urges Reeves to use the Budget to start the cure for British pessimism. As Rachel Reeves ruminates over which tax prescription to write to fill her fiscal black hole, [...]
Flash of ‘hope’ ahead of Budget as manufacturing roars back to life October 24, 2025 The UK economy had a flash of “hope” in October after manufacturing roared back to life ending a year-long slump. The latest ‘flash’ PMI from S&P Global showed business activity jumped to a two-month high at 51.1, this was up from 50.1 in September. The growth was driven by a sharp uptick from the manufacturing sector which hit [...]
Retail sales hit highest since 2022 in surprise boost for economy October 24, 2025 Retail sales jumped to their highest level since 2022 in September, boosted by sunny weather that drove a surge in demand for clothing. Fresh figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed retail sales were 0.9 per cent higher than the previous three months. Sales volumes climbed 0.5 per cent in September, a significant boost from [...]
UK fintechs send rallying cry as industry slips in global ranking September 25, 2025 UK fintech leaders have sent a rallying call to policymakers after the sector slipped in global rankings. A host of industry bigwigs have told City AM the government must be bolder in growth-orientated reforms to bolster the sector’s standing against rivals. It comes after Z/Yen’s 38th Global Financial Centres Index showed the UK’s fintech sector [...]
UK economy stalls with 50,000 job losses ahead of Autumn Budget September 23, 2025 The UK economy was hit by a “litany of worrying news” in the three months to September with thousands of jobs lost ahead of Rachel Reeves’ second Autumn Budget. The latest ‘flash’ PMI from S&P Global showed business activity expectations for the year ahead slumped to a three-month low in September as firms braced for [...]
KPMG: UK taxes to rise steadily to combat mounting public spending pressures September 22, 2025 The UK government faces tough tax choices in the years ahead with mounting public spending pressures versus sluggish economic growth, according to new forecasts. Economists for KPMG said it had been an unexpectedly strong start to 2025 but the second half was looking more uncertain. The accountancy giant is forecasting UK gross domestic product (GDP) [...]