CBI chief: Spectre of inflation is ‘very real’ and larger than we thought November 22, 2021 The chief of the influential business group the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has warned that inflation is “very real” and is threatening to squeeze British firms. Speaking at the CBI’s annual conference, the group’s director general Tony Danker warned that pay hikes will “spill over” into prices, intensifying the cost of living crisis pinching [...]
London markets boosted by rallying bank stocks as rate hike bets lift sentiment toward sector November 22, 2021 A rally among banks boosted London markets this morning as sentiment toward the sector improved on strengthening prospects of the Bank of England hiking rates. The capital’s premier FTSE 100 index climbed 0.49 per cent 7,258.91 points, while the mid-cap FTSE 250 added 0.30 per cent to 23,561.92 points. The likes of Barclays, NatWest and [...]
Andrew Bailey: Public sector hiring surge is squeezing UK job market November 21, 2021 A surge in public sector hiring is helping contribute to labour market shortages in the UK, according to Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey. Bailey said the public sector has grown so much that it created as many jobs as were lost during the pandemic. “Public-sector employment has increased – we reckon it’s about 200,000 [...]
Second-hand shopping lifts retail sales above pre-pandemic levels November 19, 2021 Retail sales jumped over the last month as consumers flocked to charity shops, according to data from the Office for National Statistics published today. Retail sales jumped 0.8 per cent over the last month and soared above pre-pandemic levels. Spending at second hand clothes stores climbed over the last month, driving overall retail sales higher [...]
Rush to buy Christmas presents lifts Brits’ optimism November 19, 2021 A rush to buy Christmas presents early to avoid being stung by potential shortages has lifted Brits’ confidence. Shoppers are ready to pounce on big ticket purchases at Black Friday and over the festive period, research by GfK has found. Intention to splurge on expensive products jumped seven percentage points over the last month, climbing [...]
A Churchillian answer to the Covid-19 debt: what we need is emergency consols November 19, 2021 The budget numbers are stark: taxes rising to their highest since the 1950s, government debt hitting 97 per cent of the national income, and that’s if we’re lucky. Much of the problem is down to the cost of pandemic measures—furlough, welfare, business loans and lower lockdown tax revenues—of around £550bn, equating to £20,000 for every [...]
EY faces mounting staff backlash over sexual harassment case November 18, 2021 EY has come under fire from its own workforce for allowing a partner to retain his job after sexually harassing a junior female colleague on a company ski trip, according to reports. The accounting giant told staff it would do more to tackle inappropriate behaviour, following the case of Neil Hutt, a transactions partner who [...]
Soaring inflation and tax hikes to squeeze UK economy November 18, 2021 TAX hikes, soaring inflation and an end to pandemic-related government support is souring the UK economy’s prospects, according to City analysts. Brits’ spending power will be eroded by the intensifying cost of living crisis, restricting their ability to splash the cash and drive the economy, analysts at Deutsche Bank warned today. Inflation is accelerating at [...]
Sterling at highest point against the Euro in 21 months November 17, 2021 The pound is at its highest rate against the euro for nearly two years after data revealed UK inflation is at its highest rate for a decade. Interest rates surged to 4.2 per cent in the year to October, more than double the central bank’s target of two percent and the highest level since December [...]
Swelling energy bills propel inflation to 4.2 per cent, more than double Bank of England’s target November 17, 2021 Swelling household energy bills have propelled inflation to more than double the Bank of England’s target, dialling up pressure on the Old Lady to act to hose down red-hot price rises. Inflation scaled to 4.2 per cent in October, up sharply from 3.1 per cent in the previous month, according to the Office for National [...]