UK SMEs paralysed by fear despite ‘sitting on piles of cash’ July 17, 2025 Small-to-medium sized companies in the UK (SMEs) are “paralysed by fear” because of geopolitical uncertainty and a lack of clear economic policy, according to new research. Accounting and advisory group Azets said a large number of SMEs are “sitting on significant piles of cash” but are nevertheless holding back on investment. The warning, issued by [...]
Lammy: Iran blocking Strait of Hormuz would be ‘catastrophic mistake’ June 23, 2025 Foreign secretary David Lammy has warned Iran that blocking the crucial Strait of Hormuz shipping lane would be a “mistake” after the nation vowed repercussions following the US’ attacks. Lammy told the BBC this morning: “It would be a catastrophic mistake. It would be a mistake to blockade the Strait of Hormuz.” The foreign secretary [...]
Reeves’ spending spree could open £20bn gap – which taxes will rise? June 12, 2025 Rachel Reeves splashed the taxpayer cash in her inaugural Spending Review, raising expectations the Chancellor may be coming back for more tax revenue in the Autumn if her growth ambitions are not met. Reeves is set to hand out an extra £190bn in government spending over the course of the parliament, in what she described [...]
Londoners most at risk of online fraud, report reveals June 10, 2025 Londoners are at significant risk of digital and financial exclusion after new data revealed one in four people in the UK capital lack confidence in money management. According to research from WPI Economics and Virgin Money, Londoners are twice as likely to experience both digital and financial exclusion than those living in the South East. [...]
Relentless surge in government debt is unsustainable says BIS May 27, 2025 Policymakers across the world need to get a grip on the relentless surge in public government debt, a leading economist has warned. Agustin Carstens, general manager of the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) said fiscal authorities have a “narrow window” to put their house in order “before the public’s trust in their commitments starts to [...]
On this day: May 26 1896 — the first Dow Jones Industrial Average is published May 26, 2025 Charles Dow was a financial journalist with a rare gift. A high school dropout from rural Connecticut, he was able to explain the arcana of investment, stocks and bonds in clear, straightforward terms. In 1882, he and two other journalists, Edward Jones and Charles Bergstresser, founded Dow Jones & Company Inc. in a basement at [...]
Free Thinking: Can Trump’s trade deal turn the UK economy around? May 12, 2025 In this week’s edition of Free Thinking, City AM Opinion and Features Editor Alys Denby ask if Donald Trump’s free trade deal is the answer to Britain’s economic woes or a political gesture that leaves us worse off?
UK employer confidence falls to pandemic-era low May 12, 2025 Confidence among UK employers has fallen to lows seen only during the coronavirus pandemic as economic uncertainty over tariffs pile on top of rising costs for businesses. The number of UK employers expecting to increase headcounts over the next three months fell to the lowest outside of the pandemic, the latest survey of more than [...]
Is choosing not to work a rational response to economic conditions? May 2, 2025 Economic theory teaches that people will make the optimal allocation of their time between work and leisure, and if they can’t earn why bother to work? That’s a choice neither individuals, nor the country can afford, says Paul Ormerod The rise in worklessness is acknowledged across the political spectrum to be a serious problem. It [...]
FTSE 100’s winning streak falters as White House ‘clouds’ market sentiment April 24, 2025 The FTSE 100 slid into the red on Thursday putting the index on course to end an eight-day consecutive run of gains. The blue-chip index was down over one per cent in early trading before a late-morning rebound left it broadly flat at midday. London’s blue-chips soared at the beginning of the week as President [...]