Russia-Ukraine war to deliver £90bn blow to UK economy March 8, 2022 Russia’s war with Ukraine will deal a £90bn blow to the UK economy driven by a worsening cost of living crunch sending the British consumer into retreat, reveals fresh forecasts published today. Soaring energy prices as a result of Moscow sending troops in Ukraine will feed already historic high inflation in Britain, heaping even further [...]
Discount retailers benefit from cost of living crunch as shoppers head to Aldi and Lidl March 1, 2022 Grocery price inflation hit a new high of 4.3 per cent last month, with budget supermarkets luring shoppers in as the cost of living intensifies. Fresh data from Kantar reveals the fastest rate of inflation since September 2013, with the exception of the start of the pandemic when households panic bought essentials. Aldi and Lidl [...]
Public sector debt climbs to record £2.32 trillion: 94.9 per cent of Britain’s GDP February 22, 2022 Government borrowing hit a surplus of £2.9 billion in January, reversing a £2.5 billion deficit in the same month a year earlier, according to official figures published this morning. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said public sector borrowing from the end of March to December was £138.5 billion – the second highest since records [...]
MPs: Pubs need tax overhaul to thrive in post-pandemic recovery February 9, 2022 A cross-party report has urged the government to overhaul the tax system in order to help the pub industry recover from its pandemic woes. The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Pubs (Pubs APPG) heard from more than 15,000 publicans, consumers and sector bodies. The group examined the impact of the Covid pandemic on pubs and what [...]
Surging rents ‘fanning the flames of cost of living crisis’ February 9, 2022 Rents have surged 8.3 per cent in a year, to the highest level they have been in 13 years. London rents have risen 11 per cent in a year as office workers have returned to the capital. Monthly rents are up £62 since the start of the pandemic, hitting an average of £969 a month, [...]
Cost of living crunch already hitting consumer spending even before inflation peaks February 8, 2022 The cost of living crunch is prompting Britons to rein in spending even before inflation reaches its expected summit this spring, reveals new research published today. An erosion in household budgets triggered by inflation hitting its highest level in nearly three decades weighed on consumer spending last month, according to figures from Barclaycard. UK spending [...]
Pubs face inflationary costs of over 10 per cent as bosses call for tax relief February 3, 2022 Pubs are facing inflationary business costs of more than 10 per cent as publicans battle spiralling energy and labour costs. More than two in three pubs told an industry survey they were facing such substantial cost increases. Venues are facing skyrocketing energy bills while a labour crunch has seen wages of bartenders and chefs leap [...]
‘Tax-cutting Conservatives’ Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak confirm tax rise is going ahead January 30, 2022 The Prime Minister and Chancellor have doubled down on a controversial planned tax hike to boost health funding, after it was reported that Boris Johnson was “wobbling” on the policy. The PM is under pressure from some Conservative MPs to scrap or at least delay the national insurance increase to win back support as he [...]
National insurance hike completely unnecessary says Brexit veteran Lord Frost as Tory calls to drop £12bn tax increase swell January 25, 2022 Lord Frost has urged Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak not to raise taxes in April as cost-of-living is set to increase for most Brits. The Prime Minister’s former Brexit chief joined the growing number of senior Conservatives to call for the planned national insurance hike to be scrapped. The former Brexit Minister – who resigned [...]
Brits’ optimism shrinks on soaring inflation and looming tax hikes January 21, 2022 An inflation spike, the re-emergence of Covid-19 restrictions and looming tax hikes have combined to dampen Brits’ confidence in the year ahead, reveals a closely watched survey released today. The erosion of household budgets by inflation climbing to a near three decade high has led to concerns about a deterioration in personal finances to sweep [...]