Fear over Labour plans to allow firms to extract cash from pension schemes April 3, 2025 The vast majority of pension scheme members are “afraid” of government plans that would allow firms to take cash from defined benefit (DB) schemes for investment. Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Chancellor Rachel Reeves signalled earlier this year that “trapped surplus funds” in DB pension schemes would be unleashed for firms to invest. But a [...]
Week in Business: Will Donald Trump’s trade war blow up the UK economy? April 3, 2025 Liberation Day, Independence Day, the greatest day in American history? Or the end of the global economic order and the start of a dangerous new world? In the end it was classic Trump, sometimes reading from an autocue as if for the first time, sometimes veering off script in erratic directions, calling out supporters in [...]
UK services and composite PMIs underwhelm economists April 3, 2025 The UK service sector saw a “modest expansion” in March but economists overestimated S&P Global’s purchasing managers’ index (PMI) readings for the month. S&P Global’s latest composite PMI reading, which takes an average of manufacturing and services output for the month, came in at 51.5. The figure points to a slight expansion in UK output [...]
Business needs a real voice in the Civil Service, not a mid-rank mandarin April 3, 2025 The civil service needs an actual industry bigwig, not a mid-rank mandarin, if it wants to properly engage with business, writes Matthew Elliott.
Trump confirms 10 per cent tariffs to hit UK exports in huge economic blow April 2, 2025 Donald Trump has confirmed the UK will be hit by 10 per cent tariffs on exports to the US, in a major blow to Britain’s economic growth. The US President confirmed the measure in a provocative and bombastic statement in the White House Rose Garden on Wednesday at just after 9pm UK time. The European [...]
Rachel Reeves: UK will not ‘rush into action’ after Trump’s tariffs speech April 2, 2025 Chancellor Rachel Reeves has indicated that the UK is unlikely to respond quickly to President Trump should he impose damaging tariffs on goods coming from Britain. In a hearing at the Treasury Committee on Wednesday, Reeves said the UK would not “rush into action to get a quick headline”. “The prize on offer is a [...]
Trump’s tariffs could crush UK growth to zero April 2, 2025 US President Donald Trump’s tariffs could knock UK growth down to zero next year, according to the National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR). The prospect of low or zero growth would deal a catastrophic blow to Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ plans for further investment in public services as estimates by NIESR suggest that a [...]
Reeves’ black hole alarmism is creating something scarier: A real one April 2, 2025 Reeves' fearmongering has scared Brits into saving. The consequences will be more frightening than Reeves' 'black hole', writes Paul Ormerod.
LIVE: Investors brace for Trump’s ‘liberation day’ April 2, 2025 The world is bracing for Trump’s ‘Liberation day,’ with the President set to impose a fresh batch of tariffs on nations across the globe this evening. Trump will speak from the White House Rose Garden at 16:00 (21:00 BST) to unveil his new set of levies. The President’s Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the tariffs [...]
US tariffs: UK being ‘supine’ and should ‘retaliate’, Lord Rose urges government April 2, 2025 The UK has been “supine” to US President Donald Trump and should be “firm” and “find some way to retaliate”, Lord Rose has said. The businessman and former boss of M&S and Asda told Times Radio the government has been “supine” to President Trump and should be “firm” in threatening retaliatory tariffs. He said it’s [...]