Week ahead: City braces for another Bank of England rate hike January 30, 2022 All eyes will be on Threadneedle Street this week as the City braces for another rate hike from the Bank of England. The Old Lady is widely expected to lift borrowing costs again on Thursday, marking the first time the central bank has hiked rates at successive meetings since 2004. The Bank lifted rates for [...]
Bank of England to hoist rates to highest level since 2009 January 30, 2022 Interest rates in the UK will climb to the highest level since the immediate aftermath of the financial crisis by the end of the year, City traders are betting. The Bank will reinforce its sharp policy shift to zeroing in on rampant inflation at its meeting of rate setters this Thursday after it hiked rates [...]
Businesses brace for insolvency storm as Covid aid winds down January 28, 2022 Over half a million UK businesses are struggling financially amid soaring inflation and the rollback of government Covid-19 support.
Treasury Committee chair joins chorus of MPs urging government to ditch national insurance hike January 27, 2022 The chair of an influential group of cross-party MPs that scrutinise the government’s spending plans has joined the chorus of policy makers calling for the national insurance hike to be scrapped. Tory MP Mel Stride, who chairs the Treasury Committee, urged the government to cancel the looming 1.25 percentage point national insurance rise to ease [...]
London markets mixed as banks soar on looming rate hikes January 27, 2022 London markets were a mixed bag today despite banks surging on the prospect of the global economy lurching into a period of higher interest rates. The capital’s premier FTSE 100 index closed 1.13 per cent higher at 7,554.31 points, while the domestically-focused FTSE 250, which is more aligned to the health of the UK economy, [...]
US economy smashes Wall Street expectations as GDP accelerates at quickest pace since 1980s January 27, 2022 The US economy is powering faster than Wall Street can keep up with as the recovery across the pond continues to gather momentum. Stateside GDP growth came in at 6.9 per cent in the final three months of last year, the US Commerce Department said today. Experts had been pencilling in a 5.5 per cent [...]
Plan B curbs sweep away retail sales as Brits shun high streets January 27, 2022 Plan B curbs that swept Brits away from the high street and offices throttled UK retailers this month, reveals a closely watched survey published today. The re-emergence of restrictions on daily life that dragged on throughout January hit high street sales, according to research carried out by the UK’s largest business group, the Confederation of [...]
Post-Brexit boost for the City as London takes top spot in global financial powerhouse rankings January 27, 2022 London continues to hold the top spot for financial and professional services in terms of overall offer when compared to other global destinations, including New York, Singapore, Hong Kong, Paris and Frankfurt, according to new figures published this morning. London received an overall competitiveness score of 61, followed by New York (58) and Singapore (53). [...]
Mike Cherry interview: Now is not the time to saddle small businesses with higher taxes January 27, 2022 The pandemic has been a bumpy ride for Britain’s entrepreneurs and small businesses. Trying to navigate the choppy waters of the government swinging between tougher and looser restrictions to tame Covid-19 has been fraught with risk and uncertainty. But, one thing seems for sure: the looming heavier tax burden will weigh heavily on small firms, [...]
Swelling tax burden to highest level since 1950s is ‘understandable’ January 27, 2022 The government’s decision to saddle Brits with the heaviest tax burden since the 1950s is “understandable,” according to a group of cross-party MPs. A ramping up of government spending announced at the October budget to deal with the ongoing fallout of the Covid-19 crisis is needed “given that the country is still in the midst [...]