UK businesses fear supply chain chaos will ruin Christmas trading December 5, 2022 UK businesses are anxious that supply chain chaos and soaring costs that have punctuated this year will scupper the lucrative Christmas trading period, a new survey out late last night revealed. Nearly half of British firms are concerned about the rising cost of sourcing materials to produce products, making it the most common problem businesses [...]
‘Government can change’ UK economic stagnation, CBI urges December 5, 2022 The UK risks another “lost decade of growth” unless the government takes action to strengthen companies’ confidence in the economy, the country’s top business group warned today. Rishi Sunak must create an environment that incentivises business investment to avoid prolonging the UK’s growth malaise since the financial crisis, according to the Confederation of British Industry [...]
Brexit has contributed to UK inflation crisis, BoE’s Pill claims November 30, 2022 Brexit is partly to blame for UK inflation surging to a 41 year high and engineering a recession, the Bank of England’s top economist claimed today. Speaking at an event hosted by the Institute of Chartered Accountants, Huw Pill said worker shortages in Britain had been “met by the inflow” of EU migrants while the [...]
Eurozone inflation drops for first time since mid 2021 and may have ‘passed its peak’ November 30, 2022 Inflation in Europe fell for the first time since mid 2021 and may have passed its peak, fresh figures out today reveal. Prices across the 19 countries using the euro climbed 10 per cent over the year to November, down from a rate of 10.6 per cent in October, according to Eurostat. The drop was [...]
Brits sit pat on Covid-19 savings mountain in sign of tougher recession November 29, 2022 Brits are sitting pat on the mountain savings they built up over the course of the Covid-19 crisis during lockdowns, official figures out today reveal. Households set aside £6.4bn in savings last month, £1.6bn higher than the average monthly deposit flow before the pandemic, according to the Bank of England. The figures illustrate consumers are [...]
Retail sales fall off cliff in November in sign of Christmas spending slump November 28, 2022 Retail sales have fallen off a cliff, pushed by consumers reining in spending as scorching inflation eats away at their finances, a new survey out today reveals. A net 19 per cent of retailers said spending fell over the year to November, down from a net rise of 18 per cent in October, according to [...]
Optimism abounds in OBR forecasts, but just how feasible are they? November 28, 2022 When former Tory chancellor George Osborne created the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) in 2010, he was unlikely to have envisioned it would become the source of financial market turmoil. But, that upheaval was not the budget watchdog’s fault. Instead, it was former prime minister Liz Truss and ex-Number 11 incumbent Kwasi Kwarteng’s disdain toward [...]
UK economy much more volatile after series of sharp shocks November 28, 2022 The UK economy has become much more volatile compared to three decades ago, a new survey out today reveals. Since the global financial crisis in 2008, the economy has grown much slower compared to the decade and a half in before the catastrophe, according to consultancy BDO. The firm said in the first 15 years [...]
Bank of England could cut rates to offset deep recession, deputy governor hints November 24, 2022 The Bank of England may have to cut interest rates if the UK economy slumps into a long, tough recession, a senior official at the monetary authority predicted today. Sir Dave Ramsden, a deputy governor at the Bank, told the Bank of England Watchers’ conference today that if households and businesses are under greater financial [...]
UK economy arrests decline but recession still coming November 23, 2022 The UK economy has arrested a decline, but it still looks likely to tip into a long recession, a closely watched survey out today has unveiled. S&P Global and the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply’s (CIPS) flash purchasing managers’ index (PMI) for November inched up to 48.3 points from 48.2 in October. It is [...]