Consumer confidence dips in July ahead of possible autumn tax rises July 25, 2025 Brits’ confidence ticked down in July despite sunny weather, with caution building ahead of possible tax rises in the government’s autumn Budget. Sentiment dipped by one point to -19 in July, according to GfK’s Consumer Confidence Index. The measure for the general economic situation of the country during the last 12 months fell one point [...]
Lunchtime Tourism: Why Goldsmith’s Garden is the bees knees July 24, 2025 Our new series Lunchtime Tourism tells you all about the places you can visit in the Square Mile on your lunch break. Think you have a better option? Our Toast the City awards are celebrating the green spaces and hidden gems (and much, much more) that make the City great and we want YOU to [...]
Savills cuts estimate for house price growth over next two years July 24, 2025 Savills has cut its estimate for house price growth over the next two years as caution stalls the housing market, but expects looser mortgage rules to boost in the market in the medium term. The real estate giant cut its forecast for house price growth in 2025 from four per cent to one per cent, [...]
Rachel Reeves is lost in space July 24, 2025 Rachel Reeves said was steering the economy past a black hole but her calculations are off and we’re heading for the abyss, says Helen Thomas One year ago, the new UK Chancellor declared that upon taking office she had discovered a £22bn fiscal black hole. She told parliament in her first big speech, “If left [...]
Natwest boosts AI strategy with AWS and Accenture July 23, 2025 Natwest Group has announced a five-year collaboration with Amazon Web Services (AWS) and consultancy Accenture to accelerate its bank-wide data and AI transformation, ahead of its half-year earnings release scheduled for July 25. The agreement forms part of the group’s broader strategy to simplify its operations and offer a more personalised customer experience. By consolidating data currently housed [...]
Deregulation drive risks repeat of financial crisis, Bank of England governor says July 22, 2025 The governor of the Bank of England has distanced himself from Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ deregulation agenda, suggesting the move could cause a repeat of the 2008 financial crisis. Andrew Bailey told MPs on the Treasury Committee that the UK “cannot compromise” on financial stability after the government laid out plans to remove regulatory red tape [...]
Environment secretary: Labour’s water revolution will give investors certainty July 22, 2025 Abolishing Ofwat and streamlining water regulation will give the sector the clarity and accountability it needs to attract private investment, says environment secretary Steve Reed Today is the start of a water revolution. When I came into office a year ago, it was immediately clear our water system needed a complete reset. There were high [...]
Peter Shilton’s shirt from Maradona Hand of God to be auctioned July 21, 2025 The shirt worn by England goalkeeper Peter Shilton when Diego Maradona scored his “Hand of God” goal at the 1986 World Cup is set to be auctioned for an estimated price of £300,000. The infamous game saw Maradona lift the ball over Shilton using his left hand, putting Argentina ahead in a quarter-final that they [...]
Natwest and Lloyds: What to expect from FTSE 100 bank earnings next week July 21, 2025 The FTSE 100’s banking titans, Natwest, Barclays, Lloyds and HSBC are gearing up for what promises to be an interesting half-year reporting season. Lloyds and Natwest will kick off earnings on July 24 and July 25 followed by peers Barclays, HSBC and Standard Chartered the following week. The first quarter was defined by President Donald Trump’s [...]
Ofwat to be scrapped in sweeping water reforms July 21, 2025 Ofwat is set to be abolished and replaced by a “single, powerful regulator” aimed at cutting water pollution and protecting families from higher bills, the government has revealed. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has said operations conducted in England by Ofwat will be merged with the Environment Agency, Natural England and [...]