UK inflation to rise as summer spending pushes up hotels and airfares August 17, 2025 UK inflation is set to have edged higher last month as summer spending pushed up flight and hotel costs, and food prices continue to climb. One economist said an “Oasis bump” could have contributed to higher accommodation prices in July. Consumer Prices Index (CPI) inflation is widely expected to have increased in July, from the [...]
AI to help slash NHS hospital discharge delays, officials say August 16, 2025 Technology is being piloted to help free up NHS hospital beds which are occupied by people fit to be sent home, officials have announced. The platform uses artificial intelligence (AI) to help complete the documents needed to discharge patients, potentially saving hours of delays. The move will allow doctors to spend less time on paperwork [...]
Rachel Reeves to raise ‘stealth and sin’ taxes to cover black hole August 15, 2025 Rachel Reeves is set to hit British consumers with extra “sin taxes”, leading forecasters have predicted, which are widely seen as regressive taxes that could hit people on lower income. The Chancellor faces having to raise £20bn in taxes at this year’s Autumn Budget to restore her “already paltry” margin of £9.9bn in headroom, according [...]
Thames Water’s cash crunch intensifies as bailout rumours swirl August 15, 2025 Thames Water faces a race against time to avoid collapse even after securing a short-term cash injection. The UK’s largest water company is set to run out of money as soon as September 2026 should it fail to secure a financial lifeline in the form of a recapitalisation deal. The utility company said the second [...]
Insurers urged to reassess Russian oil coverage amid UK and EU price cap changes August 14, 2025 An insurance association has urged its members to assess their exposure to Russian oil as the UK and EU prepare to update their oil price cap regimes
Business investment falls as alarm bells rung on low productivity August 14, 2025 Business investment fell by four per cent in the second quarter of the year despite moderate growth of 0.3 per cent, official data has shown, as top economists are ringing alarm bells on low productivity levels across the UK economy. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said there was a dramatic fall in investment compared [...]
Training investment has dropped by £10.9bn since apprenticeship levy introduced August 14, 2025 Investment in training has dropped by £10.9bn since the apprenticeship levy was introduced in 2017, fresh analysis has shown, with calls growing for Labour to speed up its overhaul of skills programmes. In a new report by the Fabian Society, which is affiliated to the Labour Party, the government has been warned that the apprenticeship [...]
UK economy grows faster than expected in June August 14, 2025 The UK economy grew 0.4 per cent in June, official data has shown, in an unexpected turnaround following months of tariff and tax uncertainty. In the second quarter, GDP rose by 0.3 per cent after declining in both April and May. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the UK services sector, which makes up [...]
Employers say university degrees ‘not essential’ in results day boost August 14, 2025 The majority of employers believe university degrees are not essential for success in entry-level roles as A-level students are brimming with confidence despite a tough jobs market, fresh polling has suggested. In a boost for young people not attending university after results day, a survey by the jobs platform Indeed has suggested that 68 per [...]
After the shake-up, is the CMA still a watchdog with teeth? August 14, 2025 Those of us who have regulators' email alerts switched on were familiar with the CMA as an active regulator, but that didn't align with the Labour government's agenda.