Government borrowing higher than expected in December but annual borrowing falls to 16-year low January 22, 2019 Government borrowing came in higher than expected in December as the UK received less money back from the EU. Public sector net borrowing climbed to £3bn in December, £300m higher than the same month in 2017 and more than the £1.9bn City economists had expected. The Office for National Statistics said this was partly due [...]
Employment rate hits record high as wages reach new post-financial crisis peak January 22, 2019 Employment rose to a record high in the three months to November as wage growth hit a 10-year peak, according to official data released today. The number of people in paid work rose by 141,000 people to 32.53m, the Office for National Statistics said, giving a record employment rate of 75.8 per cent. Sterling surged [...]
The power of free markets can liberate Britain’s high streets January 22, 2019 Change is sweeping across retail, affecting the way we all shop, spend, and interact in our town centres. Most analysts agree that there is currently too much retail space, often in the wrong locations, and that, while our high streets of the future will remain commercial centres, they will look radically different to what we [...]
Escalating trade tensions to harm global growth, IMF warns as it further downgrades forecasts January 21, 2019 Escalating trade tensions could hit global growth, the International Monetary Fund warned as it downgraded forecasts for the second time in four months. The IMF’s world economic outlook warned that China’s growth slowdown could accelerate if trade tensions continue and trigger sharp sell offs in financial markets, while the “Brexit cliffhanger” could also slow growth. [...]
No Boris, springing aimless policy promises on the public is not the way to make change January 21, 2019 The tax burden in the UK is at a 50-year high, accounting for over 34.5 per cent of GDP. Nevertheless, MPs from across the political spectrum like to propose new and higher taxes – the implementation of which increase the burden on families, who are already struggling from Britain’s cost of living crisis and lackluster [...]
Davos is a chance for the UK to step-up and collaborate in the digital revolution January 21, 2019 After the drama of last week in Westminster, it’s the 49th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum that will take centre stage over the next few days. I will join more than 100 heads of government, as well the globe’s leading companies, international organisations, and NGOs in making the annual visit to Davos. Brexit [...]
London needs micro-homes to solve the housing crisis January 21, 2019 Size doesn’t matter. When it comes to property at least, it’s all about location, location, location. Everyday, thousands of city workers (yes, I’m talking about you) are forced into excruciatingly long commutes from the outskirts of London, because living in the city centre – and, frankly, most of the capital – is simply unaffordable. Micro-housing would [...]
Chinese economy grew at slowest rate since 1990 in 2018 as hopes for US trade deal persist January 21, 2019 China’s economy grew at its slowest rate since 1990 in 2018 as demand lessened and trade tariffs imposed by the US continued to bite. GDP growth eased to 6.4 per cent from 6.5 per cent in the third quarter, the National Bureau of Statistics said today, dragging full-year growth to 6.6 per cent, the slowest [...]
London house prices fell 1.5 per cent in December as Brexit bites January 21, 2019 The average asking price for London houses fell 1.5 per cent in December compared to the previous month as Brexit uncertainty continued to dampen the capital’s property market, according to figures released today. Figures from the latest Rightmove House Price Index showed the average asking price for a London home is now just under £594,000. [...]
UK tech sector growth cools to slowest pace since 2015 amid political uncertainty January 21, 2019 Growth in the UK tech sector cooled to its slowest pace in three years in the final quarter of 2018 as political uncertainty and global trade frictions dented industry confidence. Tech companies also reported the sharpest fall for seven years in backlogs of work, suggesting a lack of new work to replace completed projects at [...]