Stagflation to batter UK economy as growth grinds to halt April 7, 2026 The UK economy is set to suffer from stagflation over the coming months as growth across the services sector ground to a halt in March, researchers have indicated. The war in the Middle East has brought output growth to its slowest level since last April while input price inflation hit its highest level since the [...]
From jet fuel to fertiliser – economic pain is heading West April 6, 2026 A quiet Easter Sunday was abruptly punctured when US President Donald Trump unleashed a brutal, expletive-filled ultimatum to the Iranian regime. In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote: “Tuesday will be power plant day, and bridge day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. “There will be nothing like it!!! Open the f***in’ strait [...]
Miliband to bow to pressure on North Sea drilling April 3, 2026 Energy secretary Ed Miliband is poised to bow to significant pressure to allow drilling in the North Sea to counter collapsing fuel supply chains and soaring energy costs. Miliband is planning to give the green light to the Jackdaw gasfield, which could supply gas to more than a million homes this winter. This would be [...]
Declining patent filings show Britain has stopped innovating April 3, 2026 There are lots of ways to measure innovation, but if we go by patent filings, it's a sorry image for the UK, writes Ayushma Maharjan.
Bank of England: Businesses sharply raise inflation expectations April 2, 2026 Businesses’ inflation expectations shot up in March according to a closely-watched Bank of England survey, as bosses braced for a surge in energy costs as a result of the Iran war. The Banks’ decision makers’ panel, a monthly poll of thousands of execs, found that the average expected inflation rate in the next year was [...]
Supermarket bosses meet Rachel Reeves amid dire food inflation warning April 1, 2026 The bosses of some of the UK’s biggest supermarkets met Chancellor Rachel Reeves in emergency cost of living talks on Wednesday, amid warnings that food inflation could rise to double digits this year. Leading supermarkets including Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons attended Downing Street after efforts to gather industry bosses last week were abandoned amid concerns [...]
Costs up, demand down: Manufacturers suffer biggest squeeze since 2022 April 1, 2026 Costs for the UK’s manufacturing sector have risen at the fastest pace in three and a half years, new data has indicated, as the energy price shock from the Iran war hammers businesses. S&P Global research has found that manufacturers suffered the highest increase in input prices since late 2022 when Russia’s invasion of Ukraine [...]
Bank of England: UK economy risks ‘large and overlapping’ shocks April 1, 2026 The Bank of England has issued a major warning that the financial system is facing increasing risks of “large, frequent and potentially overlapping shocks” amid the volatility from the Middle East war‘ and ongoing market risks’s impact on energy and global markets. In the latest meeting of the central bank’s Financial Policy Committee top officials [...]
Two-thirds of hospitality firms to cut jobs as April tax rises ‘suffocate’ sector April 1, 2026 Two-thirds of hospitality businesses will be forced to cut jobs and one in seven will shut altogether as a direct result of “suffocating” April tax rises, leading trade bodies have found. More than half (51 per cent) of hospitality firms will cancel investment plans and 42 per cent will reduce trading hours, according to a [...]
‘Unprecedented’ – Food inflation to soar to 9 per cent by end of year April 1, 2026 Food inflation will soar from three to nine per cent by the end of this year due to the “unprecedented” energy and supply chain shocks caused by the Iran war, a leading association has warned. The rate of food price growth is currently at 3.3 per cent but will climb to nine per cent by [...]