US puts UK tech deal on ice after Budget digital tax move December 16, 2025 Washington has paused the flagship US-UK tech pact just weeks after Rachel Reeves doubled down on Britain’s digital services tax in her Autumn Budget, sharpening fears that the levy has become a pressure point in wider trade talks with Trump’s administration. The so-called Tech Prosperity Deal, unveiled during Trump’s state visit back in September and [...]
Global recruiter SThree hit by ailing UK jobs market December 16, 2025 Global recruiter SThree has felt the pinch of the deteriorating UK jobs market with the region becoming the group’s worst performing large market. The consultancy – which specialises in connecting workers in science, tech engineering and mathematics with companies in need of staff – recorded a 26 per cent slump in fees in the UK [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Ofwat £11m fine; Unemployment at four-year high December 16, 2025 Good morning and welcome back to the City AM liveblog. We received another gloomy snapshot of the economy ahead of the ever-important Bank of England rate decision on Thursday. New unemployment data showed another blow for the Labour government, which has denied that its policies have had an on the ailing jobs market. The UK [...]
Value of UK passport declines sharply under Labour December 16, 2025 The once-coveted British passport has tumbled in value since Rachel Reeves’ “wealth tax” Budget, according to a new report. In the latest Passport Index, put together by financial advisory firm Nomad Capitalist, the UK’s iconic blue travel document has slipped from 21st place in the previous list down to 35th out of 199 countries. This [...]
Starmer addresses leadership rumours amid bond market warnings December 15, 2025 Keir Starmer has acknowledged that speculation over his leadership is “rife” amid fresh concerns that a change in Prime Minister could spark panic in the bond markets. The PM vowed to take action on leaks and briefings coming from Downing Street over the last few months, adding that he had previously dismissed officials for sharing [...]
High earners see purchasing powers eroded after Budget measures December 15, 2025 High earner households could lose thousands in purchasing power over the next few years as a result of measures introduced in last month’s Autumn Budget. According to analysis of HM Treasury data, high earners not rich yet (HENRY) households will see an average reduction in their annual purchasing powers by over £15,000 by 2029, due [...]
Budget knocks confidence to two-year low amid ‘deteriorating conditions’ December 15, 2025 Households’ nerves about future finances has jumped to a two-year high, a top survey has indicated, with extra taxes expected to dampen activity in the UK economy. S&P Global researchers have said that Britons were more pessimistic about their financial health over the next twelve months than at any time since December 2023, with confidence [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Budget hits hiring market as economy feels pinch December 15, 2025 Good morning and welcome back to the City AM liveblog. On Friday, the Labour government’s mission for economic growth proved to be not just sluggish but in free fall. The latest figures published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) dealt another blow to Rachel Reeves as new data showed production output shrank 0.5 per [...]
Billionaire Labour backer says ‘business unfriendly’ Budget hit growth December 12, 2025 A billionaire backer of the Labour party has said the government’s “business unfriendly” policies have hit economic growth following another bleak release of data. John Caudwell, the founder of Phones 4u, said Labour “really need to change the tune of what they’re doing” to kickstart growth and appeal to businesses. It follows the latest release [...]
‘Time to worry about recession’ – Bank faces pressure to cut rates as economy shrinks December 12, 2025 The Bank of England is coming under mounting pressure to give a shot in the arm to the ailing UK economy after fresh data revealed it suffered another contraction in October. The central bank’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) will meet next Thursday where economists are pencilling a 25 basis point reduction to interest rates taking [...]