Spending review: No new cash unless departments cut by five per cent January 21, 2025 Government departments won’t receive any cash for new projects unless they meet the Treasury’s requirement of a five per cent spending cut, Darren Jones has said. The chief secretary to the Treasury spoke at the Institute for Government (IfG) think tank’s conference on Tuesday about the need for a “reckoning” with state spending. Jones wrote [...]
More borrowers will be paying off mortgage debt into their 70s January 21, 2025 In the first nine months of 2024, 22,103 mortgages with a term of at least 35 years were approved to people aged over 36.
Business rates to more than double in ‘final blow’ to UK retailers January 21, 2025 Business rates are set to rise more than 140 per cent for thousands of high street businesses across the UK in yet another cost pressure for brick-and-mortar businesses. Business rates, which are levied on all commercial properties, were cut by 75 per cent in 2022 as high street stores found themselves unable to cope during [...]
UK economy: Compulsory liquidations hit 10-year high January 21, 2025 Figures released from the Insolvency Service showed that there were 3,320 compulsory liquidations in 2024, the highest number for 10 years.
UK economy: Has the Budget broken the jobs market? January 21, 2025 Unemployment rose to 4.4 per cent in the three months to November, up from 4.3 per cent previously and the highest since last May.
Boohoo shareholders shun Frasers and vote to keep co-founder Kamani on board January 21, 2025 Boohoo shareholders have voted two to one against a resolution proposed by Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group to remove co-founder and vice chair Mahmud Kamani as a director of the fast-fashion giant. Four fifths of shareholders took part, and two thirds of participating shareholders voted to retain Kamani on the board of the Manchester-headquartered company. In a statement, [...]
Reeves wades in to motor finance scandal in bid to soften £30bn payout January 21, 2025 Shares in some of Britain’s biggest motor finance lenders have surged today after the Chancellor Rachel Reeves revealed plans to intervene in a mis-selling scandal which could cost the industry billions of pounds. A court judgement handed down in October sent shockwaves through the motor finance sector and has opened the door to what analysts [...]
Will Heathrow’s third runway plans be halted by Miliband, Khan and Burnham? January 21, 2025 Heathrow Airport’s long-delayed third runway plans took a major step forward this week, after it was revealed the government is prepping to give the project its backing. Chancellor Rachel Reeves will outline her support for expansion bids from three major London hubs – Heathrow, Gatwick and Luton – in a speech later this month, according [...]
Greggs share price falls after City broker says ‘sell’ January 21, 2025 Greggs’ share price has fallen nearly four per cent after a leading City broker downgraded its rating for the high street chain to ‘Sell’. Panmure Liberum analysts suggested that Greggs’ time of ‘supernormal’ growth – sales rose by nearly 20 per cent in 2023 – may be over. Analysts suggested that Greggs’ roll-out of evening [...]
Natwest share price rockets to 10-year high January 21, 2025 The Natwest share price hit its highest level since February 2015 in early deals this morning as investors backed the bank for growth in 2025. The UK bank’s stock price is already up 95 per cent over the last year, making it one of the best performing stocks on the FTSE 100, and it shows [...]
