House prices surge at fastest pace this year to record £373k despite Bank of England rate hikes May 22, 2023 Britain avoiding a much-forecasted recession has helped push house prices up by the greatest amount so far this year to a record high of £372,894, new figures out today reveal. The average price of a home coming to market climbed 1.8 per cent over the last month, the strongest increase in 2023, according to property [...]
City regulators set for fresh scrutiny as ministers push post-Brexit reforms May 21, 2023 Ministers are looking to strengthen their oversight of financial regulators and boost accountability for decision-making as part of post-Brexit plans to rein in regulatory red tape and fuel the growth of the City.
Britain firmly on path away from recession as hiring and growth ramp up May 19, 2023 Britain seems almost certain to dodge a recession this year as two new surveys out today reveal businesses are hiring at the strongest pace in half a year and families are upbeat about their finances. Numbers from Lloyds Bank show nearly every sector of the UK economy stepped up headcount last month. Hiring was led [...]
David Davis calls for review of authorities’ role in Libor probes in light of new evidence May 18, 2023 Conservative MP David Davis has called for a review of state agencies’ role in the investigation and prosecution of traders for rigging Libor ahead of new evidence that is set to be released next week. The evidence, Davis said, will come from a new book on the Libor scandal by BBC economics correspondent Andy Verity [...]
Rising interest rates sees mortgage arrears tick up as repossessions jump May 18, 2023 The number of households falling into arrears continued increasing in the first quarter as rising interest rates continued to hit borrowers. According to figures from industry body UK Finance, arrears picked up in the first quarter with mortgages in arrears of more than 2.5 per cent reaching 76,630. This was a two per cent increase [...]
Why so secretive? Sunak blasted for ‘surreptitious’ industrial strategy May 18, 2023 A set of cross-party former business secretaries have launched a stinging attack on Rishi Sunak over his apparent lack of a cohesive industrial strategy. Ex-ministers Greg Clark, Peter Mandelson and Vince Cable told the Financial Times the Prime Minister was being so “surreptitious” that his strategy for industry was a “guilty secret”. Clark, Conservative business [...]
Sunak insists he will bring down taxes when inflation cools May 18, 2023 Rishi Sunak has insisted he will bring down taxes when inflation cools and claimed the economy is defying expectations. It comes after economists warned one in five people will be paying the higher rate of tax under his policies. The Prime Minister said the nation’s finances are receiving boosts from the departure from the EU, [...]
Mark Kleinman’s must-read column: Apollo, Ofgem and Hargreaves Lansdown May 18, 2023 Mark Kleinman is Sky News’ Business Editor and writes a must-read column for City A.M. on the biggest business stories of the week Apollo’s failed missions will make take-private landings harder Apollo and ground-breaking missions of accomplishment have long been synonymous. Right now, for the US-based investment firm of the same name, simply getting the [...]
Former London Capital & Finance CEO sentenced after splashing hidden funds on pricey Italian getaway and hot tub May 17, 2023 The former CEO of now collapsed London Capital & Finance was handed a suspended sentence today after he was found to have breached an asset freezing order, splashing hidden funds on a holiday, hotel stay and a hot tub. The Serious Fraud Office froze Michael Thomson’s assets as part of its ongoing investigation into suspected [...]
Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey warns of uncertainty over inflation drop May 17, 2023 The risk of inflation staying higher for longer than the Bank of England’s two per cent target than it expects is mounting due to the slow reduction of wage pressures and price rises, the Governor of the central bank warned today. Speaking at the British Chambers of Commerce’s (BCC) annual conference, Andrew Bailey warned the [...]