Tariffs unlikely to spark persistent inflation, Bank of England rate-setter says February 26, 2025 Swati Dhingra, a rate-setter at the Bank of England, said Donald Trump’s tariffs would likely push down on domestic inflation as global exporters slashed prices to maintain market share. Dhingra warned that the UK was “particularly sensitive” to changes in imported costs due to its openness, but suggested that the danger of tariff-induced inflation was [...]
Is the UK economy on the mend following Budget fallout? February 26, 2025 The economy is only slightly larger than it was at the time that Labour took office, while GDP per head actually fell in the second half of last year.
Axe the EU’s import tax to save consumers money February 25, 2025 More than five years on from Brexit we are still sticking to EU rules that see Brits paying over the odds for branded goods that manufacturers are happy to sell cheaper elsewhere, says Martin Howe KC This month we have seen rising inflation and the threat that the Bank of England will have to defer [...]
Payments regulator reportedly could be scrapped as No10 slashes red tape February 23, 2025 The UK’s payments regulator could be scrapped and folded into another regulator as part of efforts by No10 to slash red tape, according to Sky News. Ministers are mulling whether to abolish the Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) and amalgamate it into the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the broadcaster has reported. A decision could come within [...]
Andy Haldane steps back from role at RSA February 21, 2025 Andy Haldane is stepping down from his role as chief executive of the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts (RSA) to take a career break. The former chief economist at the Bank of England will stay on at the charity, one of the UK’s leading arts and innovation third sector bodies, until half-way through [...]
Consumer confidence rises in February but cost-of-living crisis ‘far from over’ February 21, 2025 Brits’ confidence rose in February, fueled by better personal finances and a brighter outlook on the general economy. However, confidence remained down on last year. GfK’s index measuring changes in personal finances during the last year rose three points to -7, seven points better than February 2024. The major purchase Index rose three points to [...]
Green shoots? UK retail sales beat expectations in January February 21, 2025 Brits returned to the shops in January as discount spending fueled the first monthly rise in retail sales volumes since last August. Retail sales volumes rose 1.7 per cent in January, following a fall of 0.6 per cent in December, according to the ONS. Analysts had expected growth of just 0.3 per cent. This was [...]
The Week in Business: Is Rachel Reeves to blame for high inflation and job cuts? February 20, 2025 Rachel Reeves might be able to exaggerate her CV but there’s no massaging the state of the economy. We’re in the eye of the storm; a false calm; growth is flat and the labour market is stagnant – but are things about to take a serious turn for the worse? Earlier this week official labour [...]
Lloyds shares jump despite profit slump February 20, 2025 Lloyds Banking Group’s shares jumped three per cent following market open, despite recording a profit hit after the firm set aside additional funds for potential motor finance payouts. The FTSE 100 lender’s pre-tax profit was down 20 per cent at £6bn, compared to £7.5bn in 2023. Analysts estimated the bank’s profit before tax at £6.5bn, [...]
Consumers’ outlook on the economy drops for fifth month in a row February 20, 2025 Consumer confidence has dipped again in the UK, with Brits’ outlook on the state of the economy dropping for the fifth month in a row. Public expectations for the economy over the next three months worsened to -37 in February, down from -34 in January. Brits’ personal financial outlook dropped to -11 in February, down [...]