IFS: Council tax hike is looming over Brits October 7, 2021 Brits are facing the prospect of further tax hikes down the line that will intensify the cost of living crisis already squeezing household finances. Council tax could have to rise by as much as five percentage points per year for the next three years, according to the economic think tank the Institute for Fiscal Studies [...]
PM unaware of British businesses’ ‘lived realities’ October 6, 2021 Business leaders and industry chiefs have lashed out at Prime Minister Boris Johnson for dismissing the “lived realities” of British companies after he delivered the concluding speech at the Conservative Party conference today. In a policy-light but joke-heavy address, Johnson said the UK is barrelling toward a “high wage, high skill and low tax economy” [...]
Month-ahead natural gas prices climb 30 per cent in just a day October 6, 2021 Prices for future natural gas stock soared 30 per cent this morning, driven by demand for the resource rising as energy providers brace for cooler weather. November month-ahead natural gas contracts climbed to £3.82 per therm, up from the £3.03 per therm opening price. At one point today, natural gas futures contracts for November topped [...]
Ireland drops opposition to global corporation tax deal October 6, 2021 Ireland has dropped its opposition to raise global corporation tax rates to 15 per cent, bringing a deal to level the business tax regime a step closer. Discussions between Ireland’s finance minister, Paschal Donohoe, and other kingpins driving the agreement among countries that represent around 90 per cent of the global economy has yielded positive [...]
IMF: Inflation to surge above central banking elites’ targets October 6, 2021 The International Monetary Fund (IMF) expects inflation across the world’s richest countries to surge above the central banking elites’ targets. In a pre-released chapter from its global economic outlook report, the IMF said inflation in rich countries will hit 3.6 per cent in the final months of this year. The organisation blamed elevated inflation on [...]
European markets tank on toxic mix of threats October 6, 2021 European markets tanked today, driven by a toxic mix of mounting “stagflation” fears, looming rate hikes and soaring energy costs. London was among the worst performers as investors mull whether the British economy could be barrelling toward a biting bout of “stagflation” that would squeeze businesses. The capital’s premier index plummeted 1.28 per cent to [...]
Supply chain epidemic leaves UK construction reeling October 6, 2021 An epidemic of raw material and worker shortages has left the UK construction industry in an almost anaemic state. A closely watched survey measuring the health of the British construction industry notched 52.6 in September, the lowest reading for eight months and down from 55.2 in August. Construction firms have struggled to progress and complete [...]
Rush to renovate homes boosts Topps Tiles October 6, 2021 Brits rushing to renovate their homes after spending months locked down lifted tile maker Topps Tiles’ profits this year. Higher than expected profits were generated by the company registering £227.5m in income, its best ever take. Rob Parker, chief executive, said: “We remain confident on the outlook, against a backdrop of strong demand for DIY [...]
Tesco hikes profit forecasts and launches share buyback programme October 6, 2021 Tesco, the UK’s largest supermarket, has hiked its forecasts for full year profits and kicked off a share buyback programme. Stronger than expected demand for the food retailer’s products prompted it to raise expectations for retail operating profits to between £2.5bn and £2.6bn. Ken Murphy, chief executive of Tesco, said: “We’ve had a strong six [...]
BCC: Supply chain breakdowns threaten to throw UK recovery off course October 6, 2021 Endemic supply chain breakdowns that are causing the UK economy to snarl up threaten to derail Britain’s recovery from the Covid-19 crisis. The chief of the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has warned “The supply chain crisis, alongside wider labour shortages and spiralling price rises, is clearly starting to drag on our economic recovery from Covid-19.” The warning comes as the BCC found [...]