Retail sales fall on Budget uncertainty before run-up to Christmas November 22, 2024 Retail sales fell by almost one per cent last month as cash-strapped Brits held back big ticket purchases amid a cloud of Budget uncertainty. The Office for National Statistics said this morning they dropped by 0.7 per cent in October, following a 0.1 per cent rise the previous month, which had been revised down from [...]
MPs flag ‘major concerns’ over errors in labour survey November 21, 2024 An influential group of MPs has taken aim at the UK’s national numbers body today amid fears that errors in its labour survey are hamstringing “accurate” economic policy making. The chair of the Treasury Select Committee, Meg Hillier – a Labour MP – wrote to the boss of the UK Statistics Authority, Professor Sir Ian [...]
Surge in government borrowing raises threat of more Reeves tax hikes, economists warn November 21, 2024 A sharp rise in government borrowing costs fuelled by pay rises for public sector workers and rising debt payments has raised the threat of future tax hikes, according to economists. Borrowing rose to £17.4bn last month, marking the second highest October figure since monthly records began, according to official figures. The Office for National Statistics [...]
Exclusive: European rugby chief leaves after 10 years with EPCR November 21, 2024 The Chief operating officer of European club rugby’s governing body Anthony Lepage is parting ways with EPCR after a decade, City AM can reveal. The news comes on the eve of the return of the Champions Cup and Challenge Cup, with Lepage set to move on to pastures new. He joined EPCR in 2014 as [...]
Inflation surprise scuppers hope of Christmas interest rate cut November 20, 2024 A bigger than expected rise in inflation last month has all but scuppered hopes of a cut to interest rates by the Bank of England in December. While economists had been expecting rising energy prices to push inflation beyond the Bank of England’s two per cent target last month, a sharper than expected lift in [...]
Lidl boss warns retailers are ‘reeling’ after Budget tax raid November 20, 2024 The boss of budget supermarket Lidl has warned retailers are “reeling” following Labour’s tax raid in the Autumn Budget. The German supermarket’s UK boss Ryan McDonnell said the discount brand was staring down the barrel of “tens of millions of pounds” in extra costs. This comes after the Chancellor unveiled a £25.7bn tax-raising package, with [...]
Surging housing costs push inflation back above Bank of England target November 20, 2024 Inflation has risen back above the Bank of England’s two per cent target, the latest data has shown today. According to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) consumer price inflation (CPI) hit 2.3 per cent in October. The figure came in above economists projections. Economists had forecast CPI to come in [...]
Reeves must answer ‘incredibly serious’ questions over CV, Tory MP demands November 19, 2024 Rachel Reeves must answer “incredibly serious” questions over claims she “misrepresented” her CV, a Tory MP has demanded. Richard Holden wrote to the Chancellor following reports she had exaggerated her professional experience at the Bank of England (BoE) and Halifax Bank of Scotland (HBOS). Reeves told Stylist magazine in 2021 that she spent a decade [...]
Cyber attack dents profit at Arnold Clark as sales near £5bn November 19, 2024 Sales at car dealership giant Arnold Clark edged closer to the £5bn mark but the aftermath of a cyber attack and rising costs contributing to a significant cut to its profit. The Glasgow-headquartered group has reported a revenue of £4.96bn for 2023, newly-filed accounts with Companies House have revealed. The latest total comes after Arnold [...]
Retailers ‘right’ to warn of Budget job cuts, says Bank of England governor November 19, 2024 The governor of the Bank of England, Andrew Bailey, has said a group of retailers were “right” to warn of sweeping job cuts as a result of Labour’s punishing £40bn tax raid at the Budget. A group of Britain’s biggest supermarkets and retail chains, including Tesco, M&S, Boots and B&Q, wrote to the Chancellor Rachel [...]