Tech sector activity gets a boost despite falling optimism April 30, 2019 Business activity growth in the UK technology sector has recovered to its fastest pace since the second quarter of 2018, while optimism fell to a 10-year low. The strength of business activity rose to 54.4 in the first three months of 2019, up from 52.3 at the end of last year, according to data from [...]
Tech sector activity gets a boost despite falling optimism April 30, 2019 Business activity growth in the UK technology sector has recovered to its fastest pace since the second quarter of 2018, while optimism fell to a 10-year low. The strength of business activity rose to 54.4 in the first three months of 2019, up from 52.3 at the end of last year, according to data from [...]
A new book about austerity has put Keynesian economists on the defensive April 29, 2019 Notoriously, economists quarrel about almost everything in their subject. But since the publication of John Maynard Keynes’ General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money in 1936, they are supposed to agree on one point: that increases in government spending boost demand and output, and reductions in government spending depress them. Indeed, according to the theory, a [...]
Philip Hammond to give verdict on future of 1p and 2p coins April 28, 2019 The Chancellor Philip Hammond is set to decide on the future of 1p and 2p coins this week, after much speculation that they could be axed. Read more: Scrapping 1p and 2p coins would have "no significant impact on prices" City A.M. understands that the two copper coins are likely to be saved by a [...]
What the next Bank of England governor’s CV needs to look like April 24, 2019 With less than a year until Mark Carney steps down, the government today kickstarted the search for a new Bank of England governor. We’ve already compiled a list of candidates tipped to replace the American when he departs the post in January 2020, but chancellor Philip Hammond has put out a job ad anyway. Read [...]
Theresa May breaks the record for most unpopular Conservative minister April 24, 2019 Theresa May has broken the record for the least popular Conservative cabinet minister to date, as ranked by Tory party members, over her decision to postpone Brexit. The Prime Minister’s net satisfaction rating plummeted to -73.5 this month from -51.2 in March, according to a poll by Conservative Home. Read more: Theresa May seeks new vote [...]
Runners and riders: Meet the candidates who could replace Mark Carney as the Bank of England governor April 24, 2019 Speculation has begun over the next governor of the Bank of England after the Chancellor Philip Hammond launched the hunt for Mark Carney’s successor this morning. Carney’s tenure began amid post-crisis reform of financial system regulation but his latter years have been characterised by Brexit, which his successor will also have to navigate through. Read [...]
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 [...]
Philip Hammond starts search for successor to Mark Carney as Bank of England governor April 24, 2019 Chancellor Philip Hammond has started the process of finding a new governor of the Bank of England. Whoever he chooses will replace current governor Mark Carney when he steps down at the start of 2020. Read more: Mark Carney warns of "alarmingly high" no-deal Brexit risk The Canadian economist, the first overseas governor of the [...]
Government provides £200m for small firms as Brexit threatens EU funding April 17, 2019 The UK government has handed over £200m to help support smaller businesses in the 2019-20 financial year as the future of European Union funding remains uncertain. Read more: No-deal planning programme extended due to later Brexit date The Treasury announced today that it has made the cash available to the British Business Bank, which provides [...]