Chancellor hails London tech success as capital beats European competitors again September 20, 2021 Chancellor Rishi Sunak today hailed London’s bounce back from the pandemic as new figures show the capital is sprinting ahead of rival European tech hubs. London has attracted more venture capital investment to its startups than anywhere else in Europe and now boasts more unicorns – firms valued at more than $1bn – than France [...]
Worker shortages could last for two years September 20, 2021 Worker shortages plaguing the UK economy pose a significant long term risk to the British jobs market. Over three quarters of businesses are concerned poor access to workers will hold back the UK labour market’s competitiveness, the highest proportion on record, according to research by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) published today. Matthew Fell, [...]
Sunak to launch battle plan to cut borrowing at budget September 19, 2021 Chancellor Rishi Sunak will outline plans to put the UK’s public finances on a more sustainable path at the budget next month, according to reports. Sunak is expected to set new targets for the government to stop borrowing to fund day to day spending within three years, according to the FInancial Times. The proportion of [...]
Fed to rein in stimulus measures this year September 19, 2021 The US Federal Reserve is expected to outline its plan for reining in the wave of stimulus measures it launched in response to the Covid crisis this week. Experts are anticipating the Fed will formally recognise its intentions to reduce the pace of its bond buying programme this year after it concludes its rate setting [...]
Inflation will keep breaching BoE target over next half decade September 17, 2021 Inflation will routinely breach the Bank of England’s target over the next half a decade, according to fresh data released today. The Bank’s latest survey on inflation expectations shows Brits think the rate of price rises will hit three per cent in five years’ time, one percentage point above the Old Lady’s target. Over the [...]
University education contributes to regional inequality, according to IFS September 17, 2021 University education is contributing to geographical inequality across the UK, according to a new report published by a leading economic think tank today. Higher education allows graduates to move to London and other cities that offer better career prospects, shows research by the Institute for Fiscal Studies. By the age of 27, graduates are 10 [...]
UK economic growth to smash official forecasts this year September 16, 2021 The UK economy will grow faster than official forecasters expect this year and the rate of expansion will be higher in the long term, according to a new report released today. Ratings agency Fitch says the British economy will grow 6.6 per cent this year, higher than the Office for Budget Responsibility’s four per cent [...]
US retail sales smash expectations in August September 16, 2021 US retail sales smashed expectations last month, boosting confidence in the American economy’s recovery from the Covid crisis even amid a surge in cases driven by the Delta variant. Retail sales jumped 0.7 per cent in August, up sharply from 1.8 per cent in the previous month, according to fresh figures published by the US [...]
Brexit: Lorry driver shortages triggered by lack of EU workers September 16, 2021 Shortages of lorry drivers that are driving the UK economy to a grinding halt are primarily the result of a lack of EU workers due to Covid and Brexit, according to official statistics released today. One in four businesses are struggling to fill roles as a result of a sharp reduction in the supply of [...]
Build 250,000 homes for key workers, urges think tank September 16, 2021 The government should ring fence land to build 50,000 homes each year for key workers on the frontline of dealing with the Covid crisis. The Centre for Policy Studies (CPS) has called on the government to use land to build affordable homes for key workers to help them get on the property ladder. Properties built [...]