Government’s £4.4bn gain on ‘shares tax’ puts investors on edge June 20, 2025 Investors have stepped in to provide the government with a cheap fix after receipts from the ‘share tax’ grew to £4.4bn amid fears it was harming London’s capital markets. Rachel Reeves has spoken about her desire to boost the UK’s retail investment culture as part of her drive to deliver higher growth and yield more [...]
Retail and construction lead insolvencies as UK firms in ‘perilous position’ June 20, 2025 Wholesale and retail traders and construction firms accounted for nearly a third of all insolvencies seen in the 12 months to April. Data published by the Insolvency Service has pointed to a further concerning trend in the UK economy as the number of companies insolvencies in May grew eight per cent month-on-month. The number of [...]
Government borrowing surges in May to fund Labour’s spending June 20, 2025 Government borrowing in May surged to £17.7bn, official data has shown, reflecting the government’s need for cash to fund Labour’s spending splurge. This represented the second-highest May borrowing figure since records began more than 30 years ago and higher than the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) forecast. Fresh data published by the Office for National [...]
Alarm bells as retail sales suffer largest fall in 18 months June 20, 2025 UK high streets suffered from post-Easter fatigue among shoppers as official data showed retail sales dropped by 2.7 per cent in May. The Office for National Statistics said a fall in sales in May represented the largest month-on-month drop since December 2023. A Bloomberg poll of economists expected retail sales to drop by 0.5 per [...]
Absence of defence spending plan ‘entirely unsatisfactory’ June 20, 2025 The government has been “entirely unsatisfactory” in failing to assess whether their defence spending plans are affordable, a group of senior MPs has said, in a damning assessment of ministers’ transparency. The row comes amid concerns spending on the nuclear deterrent would be higher than first assumed. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the government would [...]
UK growth to suffer from interest rates hold, industry warns June 19, 2025 The UK economy stands to suffer from high borrowing costs, leading industry figures have warned, after the Bank of England held interest rates at 4.25 per cent on Thursday. The Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) indicated that interest rate cuts could come in the coming months after a recent 25 basis point cut in May. [...]
Bank of England holds interest rates at 4.25 per cent June 19, 2025 The Bank of England has held interest rates to “squeeze out persistent inflationary pressures” amid tensions between Israel and Iran risking an alarming uptick in energy prices later this year. Officials said high inflation predictions and sticky wage growth figures had led them to opt for interest rates to be kept at 4.25 per cent [...]
Week in Business: Non-dom tax U-turn makes sense but what about the rest of us? June 19, 2025 The Chancellor is scrambling to hang on a few non-doms, but what about the tax bomb dropped on the rest of the country?
Exclusive: Government admits fossil fuels use is cheaper than net zero technology June 19, 2025 The UK government has quietly admitted that using low-carbon technologies essential to the rapid drive to net zero are more expensive than when fossil fuels are used an energy source, City AM can reveal. Labour ministers are expected to double down on expanding the use of green technologies to lower costs as the Treasury and [...]
Reform UK: Treasury should intervene on Bank interest rates decisions June 18, 2025 Reform UK has suggested the Treasury should be allowed to contribute to the Bank of England’s interest rates decision in what would represent an intervention on its independence for the first time in nearly 30 years. Deputy leader Richard Tice told The Times ministers should have greater power over the Bank’s key decisions while it [...]