Spring budget: Back to work, childcare and post Brexit customs – what do we know so far? March 13, 2023 This Wednesday, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt will stand on the steps of No11 Downing Street – holding the famous Budget 2023 red box. Of his five predecessors, just Rishi Sunak was even in post long enough to reach this point. Political turmoil aside, his spring statement will also follow months of financial chaos, after economic shocks [...]
Budget: 350,000 small firms at risk of ‘shrinking, restructure or closure’ unless energy bill help extended – FSB March 13, 2023 Companies on fixed-term energy contracts are at risk of being exposed to ultra-high prices, warned a leading industry group.
Recession kicked into long grass as UK steams ahead of Europe and US March 13, 2023 A recession hitting the UK economy is looking like an increasingly far flung prospect after yet more data today shows businesses and families are fending off the cost of living crunch. A net balance of 43 per cent of UK businesses are buoyant about the economy over the coming year, the highest level in a [...]
Hunt reportedly set to retain SMEs 19 per cent tax rate amid fears for tech March 12, 2023 Small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) are set to hold on to the 19 per cent rate of company tax amid concerns for the future of the UK’s tech sector, the Mail has reported. Chancellor Jeremy Hunt will hand small and medium businesses major tax breaks to boost investment in the spring statement this week, [...]
Budget: Childcare support and energy bills on Hunt’s to-do list March 12, 2023 Ending the prepayment meter penalty on energy bills and boosting childcare support for the poorest parents are among measures set to be announced in the spring budget. Chancellor Jeremy Hunt this weekend confirmed households on prepayment meters will no longer pay more than people on direct debits, as of July 2023. Energy security secretary Grant [...]
Tube and rail strikes THIS WEEK: How will industrial action affect London commuters and hospitality? March 11, 2023 Parts of Britain’s rail network – including London’s underground system – will be closed during next week’s Budget day strikes, bringing the country to a standstill and hitting hospitality hard. Hospitality bosses have warned the impact of the strikes will hit pubs, bars and restaurants hard, with an estimated £2.5bn having already been lost in [...]
The Notebook: Victoria Scholar on why it’s not all doom and gloom for the economy March 8, 2023 The Notebook is where interesting people say interesting things. Today, it’s Victoria Scholar, head of investment at Interactive Investor, on why it’s not the time to be gloomy about the UK’s prospects, the battle for your coffee pound and a new podcast. You wouldn’t be blamed for thinking that the UK economy is in a [...]
Jeremy Hunt is at sharp end of economic consensus on childcare revolution March 7, 2023 It’s rare for consensus to emerge in economics. Quibbles about the role of the state in society, the level of taxation and where to spend taxpayers’ money often turn into heated arguments thrashed out in just a handful of words on social media. But for once people interested in policymaking are behind around one area [...]
Can Rishi Sunak’s science superpower dreams become reality? March 6, 2023 Rishi Sunak rolled out plans to “cement the UK as a tech and science superpower by 2030” today with promises to tempt in the best global tech talent and deliver a state-backed £370m investment boost. The new “framework” marks the first major outing for the newly minted department for Science, Innovation and Technology, which ministers [...]
Car sales: Better deals and more availability have pushed numbers up with Vauxhall models most popular March 6, 2023 The number of newly registered vehicles rolled out on the UK’s roads continued to soar with car sales rising for the seventh consecutive month. According to figures published by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders(SMMT) car registrations rose by 26.2 per cent in February as an easing of supply chain shortages steered the market [...]