Exclusive: Starmer to back away from 2019 Labour manifesto with series of key speeches February 18, 2022 Sir Keir Starmer will try to definitively distance himself from Labour’s far-left 2019 election manifesto in a series of key speeches over the next few months. This will begin next week when the Labour leader makes a speech outlining his stance on some “meaty” economic issues as he sets out “a totally distinct path from [...]
January retail sales boosted as cost of living crisis looms February 18, 2022 January retail sales volumes lifted 1.9 per cent last month while retailers prepare for consumers to limit spending as bills soar. According to the latest retail data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), sales volumes marked the largest monthly increase since April 2021 when non-essential retailing reopened. An increase came after a four per [...]
Slap up Valentines Day meals boosts UK diner volumes February 17, 2022 Couples treating themselves to a slap up Valentines Day meal boosted the volume of diners in the UK over the last week, revealed official figures released today. The number of restaurant goers in Britain surged 17 percentage points in just a week and is now nearly a third above its pre-pandemic level, according to the [...]
Entrenched supply crunch stoking inflation risks throttling global economy, IMF warns February 17, 2022 Supply chain breakdowns stoking inflation are inflicting “harm” on the global recovery from the Covid-19 crisis, the world’s economic watchdog warned today. Swelling costs fuelled by choking supply bottlenecks pose a serious risk to derailing the economic rebound by cutting households’ spending power, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned. Central banks launching a rapid [...]
Nearly half of Brits hunt for a new job as eyes fall on ‘inflation-busting’ pay rises February 17, 2022 Nearly half of all Brits have been hunting for a new job in the past three months, according to data City A.M. can share today. While around a third have mulled quitting their current position, research by Ipsos has revealed. The temptation to hand in a resignation letter is stronger among younger workers, aged between [...]
Opinion-in-brief: Free Covid-19 tests enable personal responsibility February 17, 2022 Boris Johnson will announce his strategy to “live with Covid-19” next Monday, bringing an end to all restrictions in England. The provision of free rapid flow tests is also under review in a bid to save as much as £10bn. Johnson has put considerable effort into turning the Covid-19 strategy into a question of “personal [...]
IEA urges OPEC+ to boost oil production amid market rallies February 16, 2022 The head of the IEA Fatih Birol has called on OPEC+ to boost production to meet its agreed output targets.
Bank of England to look through weaker growth and send rates to financial crisis levels February 16, 2022 The Bank of England will look through weaker than expected economic growth this year and send interest rates to levels not seen since the financial crisis, experts are betting. Zeroing in on eradicating rampant inflation in the UK at the expense of providing a floor for the economy will drive the Bank to launch the [...]
Wales to roll out world’s most generous basic income scheme with guaranteed income of £1,600 per month February 16, 2022 Wales is to introduce what is believed to be the most generous basic income scheme ever trialled in the world. Ministers want to use the scheme to assess the impact receiving a basic income has on young people as they leave care, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds. All young people leaving care who turn 18 [...]
As the energy crisis hits pockets, we need to protect our future economy February 16, 2022 Against the backdrop of the cost of living crisis, there is a growing vocal minority in the Conservative Party calling for the Prime Minister to slow down on decarbonising the British economy. The Net Zero Scrutiny Group of backbench MPs in parliament have started to grumble that the government’s net zero plans will cost too [...]