Why Boris Johnson could be the man to unlock the potential of the Northern Powerhouse August 9, 2019 If I asked you to think of a politician who could rebalance the economy and reinvigorate the north, Boris Johnson probably isn’t the first who springs to mind. With his Eton schooling and eight-year tenure as mayor of London, Boris is very much the stereotypical southern Englishman. You’re much more likely to conjure up Andy [...]
Matalan warns on margins after ‘tough’ May July 8, 2019 Matalan warned today that poor spring weather would dampen its second quarter results after the retailer was forced to slash prices. The budget fashion brand said May was one of the toughest months “in a number of years”, after unseasonable weather lead to earlier discounting. Read more: Matalan boosts revenue despite tough retail climate Total revenue [...]
The City bids farewell to Spreadsheet Phil June 21, 2019 In the drama of the Tory leadership contest, last night was a reminder that it is not only the Prime Minister to whom we will soon be bidding farewell, but the chancellor too. Philip Hammond’s speech at the Mansion House dinner marked his final major address to the City and the effective end of his [...]
EU slashes its forecast for German growth as it predicts Eurozone slowdown May 7, 2019 The European Union yesterday halved its growth prediction for the German economy as it forecasted lower growth for the Eurozone as a whole, laying bare the extent of the bloc’s economic challenges before a leaders’ summit in Romania this week. Read more: ‘Wake-up call’: Germany downgrades 2019 growth forecast Official forecasts, released by the European Commission [...]
UK government public borrowing falls to 17-year low but misses Hammond’s spring statement target April 24, 2019 Public borrowing fell to its lowest level for 17 years in 2017-18 but was still higher than predicted, according to data published today. Borrowing hit £24.7bn between April 2018 and March 2019, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed today, £17.2bn less than the previous financial year. Read more: Government borrowing falls to 17-year low [...]
Death of the High Street? Why we’re still backing UK retail April 9, 2019 Following some dire headlines you might rightly wonder why the share prices of UK retailers have recorded double-digit gains this year (see graphic, below). Surely the relentlessly downbeat mood music from the mainstream media (and pessimism among analysts) is confirmation that the UK consumer is in full retreat, and consumer-exposed sectors are in deep trouble? [...]
Chancellor Philip Hammond says ending austerity will not mean spending splurge April 5, 2019 Chancellor Philip Hammond has fired back over criticisms of the autumn Budget, saying that ending austerity should not mean increased spending in every government department. Read more: Hammond has the cash to end austerity, IFS says Hammond today said bringing an end to austerity was “also about delivering wage growth and leaving more in people’s [...]
It’s official: London named the best city in the world March 26, 2019 London has been voted the best city in the world, beating New York, Rome and Paris to the top spot. England's capital reclaimed the number one spot for the first time since 2016 in travel site Tripadvisor's annual annual Travellers’ Choice awards for Destinations ranking. Read more: Brexit sees London shift focus to long-haul visitors Paris claimed [...]
Qatar Airways holds off on Boeing delivery until cause of 737 Max crashes is known March 25, 2019 Qatar Airways has delayed the delivery of a Boeing 737 Max jet until the cause of the second fatal crash involving the plane in six months has been established. Chief executive Akbar al-Baker said the shipment, due in April, will not go ahead “until we know exactly what the result of the investigation is and how [...]
Business investment could take years to bounce back from Brexit, says top economist March 19, 2019 One of Britain’s top economists has said the UK's slowdown in business investment is attributable to Brexit and warned that it may only bounce back gradually over several years. Yet Brexit has only played a small part in Britain’s sluggish productivity growth, Sir Charlie Bean, speaking as a committee member of the Office for Budget [...]