Business confidence plunges to lowest level since Liz Truss’s mini-budget January 15, 2025 Rachel Reeves’s tax hikes have pushed business confidence to its lowest level since the wake of Liz Truss’s calamitous mini-Budget, as firms fret over a surge in costs and slowdown in the domestic economy, a closely watched survey has suggested. Concerns over a looming tax bill and a slump in sales caused business confidence to [...]
UK consumer confidence may struggle to ‘ride out’ uncertainty January 13, 2025 Consumer confidence ended 2024 on a high, but analysts have warned that it might not be able to ride out a wave of economic uncertainty this year. Confidence was at its highest since April 2021 in December, according to Yougov’s and CBRE’s monthly consumer confidence survey. Business activity, optimism about the future, and perceptions of [...]
Business confidence slumps in ‘pressure cooker’ of higher taxes January 6, 2025 The British Chamber of Commerce's quarterly survey showed that 63 per cent of firms cited tax as a worry in the final quarter of last year, up from 48 per cent in the third quarter.
Businesses gloomy about state of economy before Budget tax rises January 3, 2025 Business leaders remain gloomy about the state of the economy entering the New Year, a new survey shows, as they anticipate the impact of the Budget’s tax increases. The Institute of Directors’ economic confidence index, which measures business sentiment about the economy, rose to -61 in December, up from -65 the month before but still [...]
Relief for Reeves as business outlook brightens for new year December 30, 2024 UK businesses have defied the negative sentiment which has defined the latter part of the year and predicted an upswing in 2025. More UK businesses are expecting a stronger start to 2025 than they did entering 2024, new research from Lloyds Business Barometer has found. Seven in ten UK businesses expect to see their turnover [...]
Business confidence ended 2024 at low point on jobs and prices fears December 23, 2024 Business confidence fell to its lowest level in 2024 during December, as fears around layoffs and price increases hurt opportunity for business growth. Business confidence ticked down by two points to 39 per cent this month, though remained above the long-term average of 29 per cent, according to the latest Lloyds Business Barometer. “While there [...]
Business confidence drops at fastest pace for over three years December 9, 2024 The optimism index dropped 5.8 points to 93.49 in November, which was the largest monthly fall since August 2021.
UK business leader confidence nosedives towards pandemic lows December 1, 2024 Confidence among business leaders in the prospects for the UK economy nosedived towards levels not seen since the coronavirus pandemic during November, as fears over rising national insurance bills plague firms. The Institute of Director’s monthly Economic Confidence index fell to -65 in November, down from -52 during October in its fourth consecutive monthly fall. [...]
These two mistakes are making today’s Budget harder than it needs to be October 30, 2024 The problem with Rachel Reeves promising both ‘stability’ and ‘growth’ is that the two can be mutually exclusive. Governments do not create growth; businesses do and they rely on innovation and risk taking, says Alys Denby Not since George Osborne’s ‘caesar’ cut has a Chancellor’s hair-do caused such a sensation. Did Rachel Reeves’ newly auburn [...]
Fear of failure is holding British entrepreneurs back October 24, 2024 Too many aspiring UK entrepreneurs believe they are doomed to fail before even starting a business, a new report finds It takes great courage to start a business. Often, it means leaving a job with a guaranteed income, holiday allowances and welfare contributions. It is hardly unsurprising then that most people are afraid to make [...]