UK public spending will swell to more than half of GDP, IMF warns May 28, 2025 The British state will swell to more than half the total size of the UK economy under the government’s current plans, the International Monetary Fund has warned, as it sounded the alarm on “tough policy decisions” needed to meet ballooning spending. Total public expenditure is projected to grow by eight percentage points over the next [...]
Fraud crackdown helps stop the rise of online scams May 28, 2025 Over £1.1bn was stolen in 2024 as the financial services sector works to protect its customers; criminals find new ways to exploit people
London slips from top smart centre spot May 28, 2025 London has lost its place as the world’s top hub for science and tech innovation after a sobering report warned of the City’s slipping global status. The UK’s capital fell behind San Francisco and Zurich which stormed ahead with a gain of 16 and 6 points respectively. Meanwhile, London’s rating shed three points as it [...]
HSBC cuts more investment bank roles in latest European retreat May 27, 2025 HSBC has reportedly given more than two dozen analysts in its investment banking division the chop as the bank’s boss presses on with his sweeping overhaul. The firm’s cuts primarily focused on Europe, where the lender has continuously signalled a winding down of operations. The banking juggernaut slashed ten per cent of its work force [...]
Farage challenges Labour as ‘working class’ party May 27, 2025 Nigel Farage has insisted that Reform has replaced Labour as “the party of the working class,” while introducing a litany of policies which he claims represent the interests of working people. In a speech on Tuesday morning, the Reform leader goaded the Labour Party, accusing leaders of being “absolutely terrified” of him. Farage lambasted Labour’s [...]
Labour tax hikes drive steepest fall in retail sentiment since Covid May 27, 2025 British retailers’ confidence has made the steepest dive in five years, after facing pressures from Rachel Reeves’ £26bn employer tax raid and uncertainty sparked by Donald Trump’s trade war. The drop is the most severe since the Covid-19 pandemic paralysed the UK high street, according to the Confederation of British Industry (CBI). Grim sentiment in [...]
EU firms should move plants to UK to avoid tariff ‘flare ups’ May 27, 2025 European companies should urgently ramp up manufacturing capacity in Britain to avoid the worst effects of Donald Trump’s tariff regime, a top accountancy firm has said. According to Alex Altmann, head of the German desk at Lubbock Fine, the 10 per cent US import tariff agreed as part of newly inked UK-US trade pact has [...]
IMF upgrades UK growth forecasts despite tariff turmoil May 27, 2025 The International Monetary Fund has upgraded its forecast for UK economic growth this year, despite warning that turmoil around US tariffs will stymie performance. The global body upgraded GDP growth predictions for the UK in 2025 to 1.2 per cent, up from the 1.1 per cent it had forecast last month. However, economists at the [...]
FTSE 100 nears record high but Trump threat lingers May 27, 2025 The FTSE 100’s latest rally has put it inches away from sealing an all-time high but another tariff twist from the White House threatens the record. The UK’s flagship index was up one per cent to around 8,800p during midday trading on Tuesday as it reversed Friday’s losses made after Trump threatened the European Union [...]
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 [...]