Central banks’ Covid QE splurge was a ‘mistake’, ex BoE governor King says October 23, 2022 Central banks were wrong to inject money into their respective economies through quantitative easing during the pandemic, the former governor of the Bank of England said today. Speaking to the BBC, Mervyn King, who steered the central bank through the global financial crisis, accused central banks of losing “control of inflation”. The Bank’s decision to [...]
Borrowing was at £20bn last month, £2bn more than expected October 21, 2022 Public sector borrowing was at £20bn last month exceeding expectations by £2.2bn. The figure is the second highest September borrowing since records began in 1993, and is £8.3bn lower than September 2020 at the height of the pandemic. The PSNB, which excludes pubic sector banks, includes day-to-day expenditure of £79.3bn last month, which was £5.8bn [...]
Retail sales volume fall to 1.3 per cent lower than pre-covid levels as cost of living bites October 21, 2022 Retail sales volumes have plummeted to 1.3 per cent lower than pre-coronavirus levels as rising prices and the cost of living continues to bite. Latest figures from the Office for National Statistics show sales volume on the high street were down by 1.4 per cent in September, though data was impacted by a bank holiday [...]
Truss mini-budget boosts Brits’ confidence as experts warn against austerity 2.0 October 21, 2022 Brits’ confidence in their finances and the economy bumped higher in the aftermath of former prime minister Liz Truss’s mini-budget, a closely watched survey published today reveals. Consumer confidence rose for the first time since last November this month, up to minus 47 from a record low minus 49, according to research firm GfK. Optimism [...]
Bank of England’s Broadbent urges markets to curb rate expectations October 20, 2022 One of the Bank of England’s top officials has today warned markets not to get carried away with the number of rate rises coming down the line. Ben Broadbent, a member of the monetary policy committee (MPC) and a deputy governor at the Bank, said Threadneedle Street’s internal calculations worked out the response to the [...]
Analysis: This shapeshifting inflation surge ain’t over yet October 19, 2022 Today’s inflation figures may have caused a few chairs to be flung at walls in the Bank of England. Prices are up 10.1 per cent over the year to September, above the City’s expectations and up from August. They were in line with the Bank’s forecasts though, a genuine rarity. Remember, the central bank has [...]
Bank of England to launch record rate rise to step up fight against 40-year high inflation October 19, 2022 The Bank of England will have to hike interest rates by a record whole percentage point at its meeting on 3 November, City economists are betting today after inflation returned to a 40 year high of 10.1 per cent last month. Prices are still rising sharply despite the Bank already lifting borrowing costs seven times [...]
Small business confidence tumbles on swelling costs and weaker demand October 19, 2022 Intensifying cost pressures and a slowdown in consumer spending as a result of cost of living crunch squeezing Brits has led to a collapse in confidence among small firms, a new survey out today shows. Net confidence plummeted to minus 35.9 in the three months to October, down by 11.2 points over the last quarter, [...]
Truss mini-budget sparked five worst days on UK debt market on record, Bank of England says October 18, 2022 Prime minister Liz Truss’s botched mini-budget triggered the five most volatile days on the UK debt market since records began 22 years ago, the Bank of England said today. Financial markets were rocked by Truss and her former chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng launching £45bn worth of unfunded tax cuts and raising borrowing to fund a two-year [...]
UK borrowing costs tumble after Hunt shreds Truss’s mini budget October 17, 2022 UK borrowing costs scaled lower today after new chancellor Jeremy Hunt ripped up prime minister Liz Truss’s tax cutting mini budget. The yield on the 30-year UK gilt, which has suffered heavy selling since the mini budget last month, fell around 40 basis points to 4.33 per cent. Rates on the 2-year and 10-year UK [...]