Britain firmly on path away from recession as hiring and growth ramp up May 19, 2023 Britain seems almost certain to dodge a recession this year as two new surveys out today reveal businesses are hiring at the strongest pace in half a year and families are upbeat about their finances. Numbers from Lloyds Bank show nearly every sector of the UK economy stepped up headcount last month. Hiring was led [...]
Sunak insists he will bring down taxes when inflation cools May 18, 2023 Rishi Sunak has insisted he will bring down taxes when inflation cools and claimed the economy is defying expectations. It comes after economists warned one in five people will be paying the higher rate of tax under his policies. The Prime Minister said the nation’s finances are receiving boosts from the departure from the EU, [...]
Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey warns of uncertainty over inflation drop May 17, 2023 The risk of inflation staying higher for longer than the Bank of England’s two per cent target than it expects is mounting due to the slow reduction of wage pressures and price rises, the Governor of the central bank warned today. Speaking at the British Chambers of Commerce’s (BCC) annual conference, Andrew Bailey warned the [...]
Jeremy Hunt: UK not ‘in a position’ to know if it can cut taxes before election May 17, 2023 The government is currently not “in a position to know whether we’re going to have any headroom at all” to cut taxes in the run up to the next election, Jeremy Hunt claimed today. Speaking at the British Chambers of Commerce’s (BCC) annual conference, the Chancellor said he and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak “have our [...]
The Notebook: Susannah Streeter talks Brits’ love of brands, ready meals and Eurovision May 16, 2023 The notebook is a place for interesting people to say interesting things. Today, it’s the turn of former journalist and now Hargreaves Lansdown’s head of money and markets Susannah Streeter. Our love of big brands helps fuel inflation fires Brand power is the much-lauded virtue of the world’s most successful companies. But this much-admired characteristic is partly [...]
UK isn’t alone in this recession merry-go-round – just look at Europe May 16, 2023 It’s worth remembering that Britain isn’t some sort of pariah in the rich world that’s undergoing a tough economic slump, which is threatening to extend the growth slow down since the 2008 financial crisis. Europe’s major economies, led by Germany, its powerhouse, are also in the teeth of a slump. Numbers out last week revealed [...]
‘Greedflation’ not to blame for UK price surge, former rate setter claims May 15, 2023 “Greedflation” is not to blame for prices surging in the UK and instead businesses are pushing up prices in response to soaring costs, a former Bank of England rate-setter claimed today. Michael Saunders, an ex-member of the monetary policy committee – the nine strong group that sets interest rates in Britain – and now senior [...]
UK on track to dodge recession as economy grows 0.1 per cent in first quarter May 12, 2023 Britain is on course to officially dodge a technical recession in the first half of this year, demonstrating the big turnaround in the country’s economic fortunes in just a handful of months, figures out today show. Gross domestic product (GDP) – which measures all goods and services made in an economy – edged 0.1 per [...]
Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey rebuffs Huw Pill’s ‘accept you’re worse off’ comment May 11, 2023 The Governor of the Bank of England has suggested that the Bank’s most senior economist chose the wrong words when saying that people and businesses should accept they are poorer now because of inflation. Andrew Bailey said that there had been a hit to national income, and did not appear to criticise the substance of [...]
Bank of England hikes interest rates for twelfth time in a row and warns of ‘significant’ inflation risk May 11, 2023 The Bank of England today hiked interest for the twelfth time in a row and to their highest level since October 2008, but warned inflation will stay higher for longer than it previously thought. The monetary policy committee (MPC) – the nine-member group tasked with setting interest rates in the UK – voted 7-2 in [...]