British businesses most optimistic in over a year but London firms sweat over inflation June 30, 2023 British business optimism has climbed to its highest level in over a year despite consumers retreating in response to rising prices and the Bank of England’s aggressive interest rate rises, a survey out today reveals. UK business confidence climbed nine points to 37 per cent in June, taking it up to its highest level since [...]
Bank of England chief economist Huw Pill admits forecasts have struggled to explain inflation shock June 29, 2023 Any central banker would have struggled to accurately forecast the impact of the series of shocks that have hit the UK economy, the Bank of England’s chief economist claimed today. Huw Pill, a former Goldman Sachs banker, in response to a letter from the Treasury select committee today hit back at critics who have slammed [...]
Budget Britain: Inflation forces families to trade down and opt for staycations June 28, 2023 Britons are trading down to cheaper products and are opting to holiday at home in response to rampant inflation and higher interest rates squeezing their budgets, new research out today shows. Some 40 per cent of families have been buying more value or own brand products in 2023, according to analysis from consultancy KPMG. The [...]
Bank of England’s Tenreyro warns more interest rate hikes risks pushing inflation below target June 27, 2023 A Bank of England official has said raising interest rates too aggressively could push inflation below the central bank’s target over the coming years. Departing monetary policy committee (MPC) member and professor at the London School of Economics Silvana Tenreyro today said tightening borrowing costs in an economy that is undergoing a severe external energy [...]
Let’s all hand our cash over to the Treasury to pay off UK’s £2.5 trillion debt pile (not) June 27, 2023 Here’s a fun fact. If everyone in the UK worked for a year and gave all their earnings to the Treasury, the government could nearly repay the country’s more than £2.5 trillion debt pile. Alright, that’s oversimplifying the equation. But it does illustrate a principle in economics that often gets lost in the deluge of [...]
Bank of England and Rishi Sunak fail to win over investors on inflation fight June 27, 2023 Investors are sweating over Britain’s inflation problem running out of control and the Bank of England being unable to solve it any time soon, exclusive research for City A.M. has revealed. More than a year of raging prices has eroded confidence in policymakers’ ability to ease the cost of living crisis. Some 56 per cent [...]
FTSE 100 close: Banks regain ground amid interest rate concerns as Vodafone slumps June 26, 2023 London’s FTSE 100 was dragged into the red today, driven by Britain’s largest banks struggling amid concerns about how much higher UK interest rates will go and Vodafone tumbling. The capital’s premier index fell 0.11 per cent to 7,453.59 points, while the domestically-focused mid-cap FTSE 250 index, which is more aligned with the health of [...]
Rich Brits only group to pocket disposable income rise as inflation chokes poorest families’ finances June 26, 2023 The richest households in the UK are the only group to have undergone a living standards improvement over the last year, while poorer families are being whacked by sky high energy and food bills, according to research out today. Top earners in Britain have seen their post-bill weekly income increase 2.1 per cent over the [...]
Rishi Sunak pleads with Brits to ‘hold our nerve’ in face of sky high interest rates and inflation June 26, 2023 Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has urged the country to “hold our nerve” with sky high interest rates in order to beat down scorching inflation. Sunak today on BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme gave his full backing the Bank of England’s latest interest rate rise as Tory backbenchers slammed Governor Andrew Bailey for being “asleep [...]
British businesses struggle to source cash amid Bank of England interest rate hikes June 26, 2023 British businesses are struggling to source cash to fuel growth as lenders retrench from the credit market after the Bank of England’s 13 straight interest rate rises, new research out last night showed. Just over nine in 10 mid-sized companies are running into roadblocks when trying to secure financing, prompting them to shelve expansion plans, [...]