UK hurtling toward recession on double-digit cost of living squeeze, Bank of England warns May 5, 2022 The UK is hurtling towards a recession sparked by households being gripped by the tightest cost of living squeeze since the early 1980s, revealed fresh forecasts by the Bank of England today. The economy will struggle to eke any growth for most of next year, dragging the UK into a 0.25 per cent contraction in [...]
Car insurance prices sink to lowest in seven years May 5, 2022 Car insurance prices have, on average, sunk to the lowest since 2015, the Association of British Insurers (ABI) announced today. Comprehensive prices, which are now at £416, dropped 5 per cent compared with 2021 levels following the Financial Conduct Authority’s decision to offer both new and returning customer the same tariff, and end “loyalty premiums.” [...]
UK automotive production outlook downgraded following April slump May 5, 2022 The automotive industry was forced to downgrade its 2022 production outlook after the number of cars built in April slumped 15.8 per cent. Data published today by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) revealed the number of new car registrations fell to 119,167 units due to covid-induced semiconductor shortages. The decline, the data [...]
Today: Bank of England to push interest rates to 13-year high to slow cost crunch and inflation May 5, 2022 Interest rates are expected to be hiked once again later today to their highest level for 13 years as the Bank of England battles to cool rocketing inflation. The Bank’s policymakers are predicted to increase rates from 0.75 per cent to 1 per cent – a level not seen since early 2009 – and ramp [...]
Shell profits fuel calls for windfall tax: Record results come days after BP bumper earnings May 5, 2022 Shell has further fuelled demands for a windfall tax on the sector as it revealed record first-quarter profits thanks to soaring oil and gas prices, just days after bumper earnings from rival BP. The oil giant posted better-than-expected underlying earnings for the first three months of 2022, at £7.2bn – nearly three times the £2.5bn [...]
D-Day for Boris Johnson and Keir Starmer as polls are now open: All you need to know about the 2022 local elections May 5, 2022 Millions of Brits around the country will go to the polls todayfor the 2022 local elections. Voters will be choosing local representatives in England, Scotland and Wales and there will also be an election for the Northern Ireland Assembly. Polling stations have just opened and close at 10pm. When will the results be announced? After [...]
Offshore wind primed to benefit from investment boom and energy transition May 5, 2022 Offshore wind is set to benefit from the most from upcoming UK investments to ramp up domestic energy production.
We should be creating a Right to Build not reviving more Thatcherite dreams May 5, 2022 This week, Boris Johnson mooted the idea of breathing new life into the Thatcherite right-to-buy policy. As the Conservatives face down the barrel of fierce local elections, headline-grabbing policies are a useful tool. With the new right-to-buy scheme, up to 2.5 million households could be able to buy their homes at a discounted price of [...]
US Federal Reserve hikes rates at quickest pace in over two decades May 4, 2022 The world’s most influential central bank today hiked interest rates at the quickest pace since 2000 in a sign the era of cheap money is coming to an end. The US Federal Reserve lifted the financial system’s key interest rate 50 basis points to a range of 0.75-1 per cent as it scrambles to douse [...]
UK mortgage debt swells to £7bn as interest rates rise May 4, 2022 Mortgage debt swelled in March, according to Bank of England data, with net borrowing climbing from £4.6bn to £7bn in March as interest rates rise. House purchase mortgage approvals slipped to 70.7k in March from 71.0k in February, slightly ahead of consensus but moving towards their 2015 to 2019 average of 66.5k – which analysts [...]