That video call could have been an email: After four years, are Brits sick of WFH? December 23, 2024 There is a brilliant novelty about working from home. Household amenities are always within reach, transport fares are reduced to the difficulty of moving from your bed to the desk, and no one steals your food from the fridge. But, after more than four years, has it become a nuisance? Around 40 per cent of [...]
Business confidence ended 2024 at low point on jobs and prices fears December 23, 2024 Business confidence fell to its lowest level in 2024 during December, as fears around layoffs and price increases hurt opportunity for business growth. Business confidence ticked down by two points to 39 per cent this month, though remained above the long-term average of 29 per cent, according to the latest Lloyds Business Barometer. “While there [...]
Housing sales end year on a high but fears about mortgage rates linger December 23, 2024 The London housing market has ended 2024 on a high, although buyers remain price-sensitive and concerned about the cost of mortgages. Over 280,000 homes worth £104bn are in the sales pipeline for 2025 – the highest number in four years, according to Zoopla. In another good sign, house prices returned to growth – up 1.9 [...]
London’s poshest district is nearly 100 times pricier than the north of England December 23, 2024 Knightsbridge has been named the most expensive district in London and the UK, with the average house price coming in at a whooping £21.4m. That’s nearly 96 times the average price of a home in the north of England. The West London region is home to the capital’s most expensive residential site, Knightsbridge’s One Hyde [...]
Can you complete City AM’s Politics Quiz of the Year 2024? December 23, 2024 It’s been a busy year for politics in 2024. From elections in the UK and US, Labour’s first Budget in 14 years, farmers protests and more, how well do you remember the twists and turns of the past 12 months? Well, while you’re enjoying a mince pie and glass of Baileys, we’ve put together a [...]
What’s in store for bitcoin in 2025 as Donald Trump returns to the White House? December 22, 2024 2024 was definitely the year of the bitcoin: The first bitcoin spot ETFs were approved in the US, the cryptocurrency reached an all-time high, and the fourth bitcoin halving occurred in April. The price of bitcoin now sits at over $84,000, up 142 per cent since the start of the year and 60 per cent [...]
Lucy Powell says she understands public’s frustration with Labour in office December 22, 2024 The state of the economy is “disappointing” and people’s frustrations with Labour’s performance in office are understandable, a Cabinet minister has acknowledged. Commons Leader Lucy Powell insisted the Government was turning the situation around but accepted she wanted to see economic improvements faster. She defended the “difficult decisions” taken by the Government, saying “we didn’t [...]
75mph gusts forecast as Christmas getaway disruption continues December 22, 2024 Winds of up to 75mph have been forecast for parts of the UK as the Christmas getaway period continues to see disruption caused by bad weather. Heathrow Airport has confirmed around 100 flights have been cancelled on Sunday and passengers are advised to check with their airline before travelling. It comes as the Met Office [...]
The best business books picked by CEOs December 22, 2024 Your Spotify Wrapped excitement might have now come and gone — if you’re not still questioning why your top artist was who it was — but fortunately, a new kind of ‘year in review’ list is here to take its place. Perlego, an educational technology company dubbed the “Spotify for textbooks” wrapped up the most-read [...]
Bank of England governor to visit China with Chancellor December 21, 2024 Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey will accompany Chancellor Rachel Reeves to China next month, Sky News said on Saturday, a visit intended to revive high-level economic and financial talks that have been frozen since 2019. Sky News said Bailey was expected to hold talks with Pan Gongsheng, the governor of the People’s Bank of [...]