London’s councils call for share of £2.6bn levelling up fund March 22, 2022 London’s councils are calling for a slice of the £2.6bn fund earmarked for the government’s levelling up agenda to also be given to the capital in Rishi Sunak’s spring economic statement tomorrow. London Councils, an association representing all 32 of the capital’s councils, has urged Sunak to ensure that London receives from the UK Shared [...]
FSB urge Chancellor to ease pressures on businesses ahead of Spring Statement March 22, 2022 FSB calls on Sunak to cut fuel duty, help micro-businesses with energy bills and increase employment allowance to £5,000.
A ‘policy light’ spending review must still grapple with cost of living woes March 22, 2022 Chancellor Rishi Sunak wants onlookers to pay little attention to Wednesday’s spring statement. Policy-light has been the line from the Treasury. Very few have been tempted into believing the Chancellor will sit on his hands and Sunak’s announcements tomorrow are set to finally reveal his true preference for the level of state intervention in the [...]
Spring budget: Defence and foreign aid set to miss out on rise as war rages in Ukraine March 21, 2022 Britain’s defence and foreign aid budgets are set to miss out on an increase in the Spring budget, despite Russia’s war in Ukraine putting pressure on the UK’s responsibilities abroad. Chancellor Rishi Sunak sidestepped suggestions the conflict could lead to a rise in cash for defence, pointing to £24bn spent last year. This comes after [...]
IFS warns new GDP and tax receipt forecasts will be revised downward March 20, 2022 The UK’s budgetary watchdog is expected to next week downgrade its forecasts for future GDP growth and government tax revenues, according to the head of the influential Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) think tank. IFS director Paul Johnson said today that Rishi Sunak’s spending plans from the October budget will now be “worth an awful [...]
Soaring inflation is UK’s main financial concern March 20, 2022 Soaring inflation is the top financial concern for UK adults, in both the long and short term, according to new research from M&G Wealth. A quarter (25 per cent) of UK adults cited soaring inflation as their main financial concern over the coming year, according to a survey of 2,000 people. A further 18 per [...]
Sunak says ‘of course’ he will provide more help for families facing rising energy bills March 20, 2022 Rishi Sunak has said that “of course” he will help households dealing with further increases in energy bills as a result of the Russo-Ukrainian war. The chancellor said that he will “stand by” people facing the cost of living squeeze in “the same way I have done in the last couple of years”. Sunak will [...]
Treasury to reveal £40bn tax boost as Sunak faces calls to further tackle cost of living March 20, 2022 The Chancellor is preparing for a £40bn boost to the Treasury from higher tax receipts as industry and campaign groups call for more solutions to tackle the cost of living. Rishi Sunak is expected to reveal better borrowing figures than previously forecast, alongside higher tax revenues and a slimmer debt-to-GDP ratio in 2021-22. The figures [...]
Russia-Ukraine war raises spectre of UK recession March 14, 2022 Russia’s invasion of Ukraine risks plunging the UK economy into recession by propelling inflation to historic levels, according to a new report released today. Soaring food and energy prices triggered by the conflict could send the cost of living for the poorest households in the UK above 10 per cent, research published today by the [...]
Softbank’s internet arm teases plans for launch of NFT marketplace March 10, 2022 Japanese investment giant Softbank Group is cashing in on the NFT craze with the launch of a new marketplace.