Interest rates look set to be held amid bond market pressure Economics The Bank of England is expected to leave Interest rates unchanged even as bond traders raised expectations for upcoming hikes and the Federal Reserve opted to tighten monetary policy in the US. The Bank’s nine-member Monetary Policy Committee is expected to back leaving interest rates at 3.75 per cent although policymakers are set to be [...]
Starmer ally defends minimum wage quango after Sunak calls for it to be axed Economics Welfare secretary Pat McFadden has leapt to the defence of the minimum wage quango after former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called for the body to be axed. The top ally of Sir Keir Starmer told City AM it “would be a mistake” to abolish the Low Pay Commission (LPC), an independent body that advises the [...]
Firms slash jobs at fastest pace this year and pay growth slows Economics Businesses slashed jobs at the fastest pace in 2026 as employers also resisted giving staff big pay increases over March, research has suggested, exposing the Iran war’s damaging effects on all sides of the UK economy. Research by the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) and KPMG said there was a steeper rise in the number [...]
Minimum wage hike puts pressure on professional starting salaries November 3, 2025 With Rachel Reeves poised to raise the minimum wage in her Autumn Budget, mid-tier professional services firms are bracing for significant impacts across the sector. As reported last week, the Budget will likely see employers forced to raise workers’ wages from £12.21 to at least £12.70 an hour. However, for businesses, especially those in the [...]