UK inflation beats expectations but stays well below Bank target July 15, 2020 UK inflation increased for the first time this year in June as non-essential shops reopened from coronavirus lockdown, official figures have shown, although it was still well below the Bank of England’s target. UK inflation as measured by the consumer price index came in at 0.6 per cent in June, the Office for National Statistics [...]
Number of jobs available in London plummets due to coronavirus July 15, 2020 The number of jobs available in London during the second quarter plummeted as the coronavirus crisis took hold. In April, there was a 72 per cent drop in the number of job vacancies with just a one per cent decrease in job seekers across the period, according to Morgan McKinley research. By the end of [...]
UK economy grows by much less than expected after April crash July 14, 2020 The UK economy grew at a much slower rate than expected in May after April’s historic crash, official figures have shown, in a sign that the recovery could be weaker than anticipated. UK GDP expanded by 1.8 per cent in May, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said, after shrinking by an enormous 20.3 per [...]
OBR: Public borrowing set to top £370bn amid worst crash in 300 years July 14, 2020 Government borrowing could skyrocket to a peacetime high of over £370bn this year as the UK economy suffers its worst economic crash in 300 years, the UK’s budget watchdog has said. The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) presented three scenarios, each of which said the UK economy would shrink more than 10 per cent in 2020. [...]
Bank of England’s Andrew Bailey says he’s ‘very worried about jobs’ July 13, 2020 Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey has said the UK economy is showing signs of recovery from the coronavirus crash but he remains worried about unemployment. “We are seeing the economy come back now somewhat, because obviously the restrictions are beginning to be lifted,” he told schoolchildren today at an event organised by Speakers for [...]
The FTSE 100 is lagging behind soaring global markets – but why? July 13, 2020 Stock markets around the world have soared in recent months even as economies crashed, aided by central banks pumping trillions of dollars into the system. But although all stock markets are rising, some are rising faster than others. Britain’s FTSE 100 is lagging behind almost all other major stock indices. It has risen just over [...]
Liberal Democrats secure coronavirus briefing with Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey July 12, 2020 Liberal Democrat MPs will get a briefing from Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey on Thursday in order to get a more “realistic” view of the British economy. The closed door meeting will give the party’s 11 MPs a chance to quiz the Bank of England boss about the UK’s economic recovery prospects and the [...]
FTSE 100 climbs but Wall Street flat as US coronavirus cases jump July 10, 2020 The FTSE 100 rose but Wall Street was mixed as investors weighed a record daily rise in new coronavirus cases in the US against the reopening of economies. The UK’s main stock index was 0.6 per cent higher in afternoon trading at 6,083 points. The FTSE 250 index of slightly smaller jumped 1.2 per cent. [...]
UK government bond yields hit record low July 10, 2020 Short-dated UK government bond yields hit new lows today as unprecedented interventions from the Bank of England combined with economic uncertainty to boost the gilt market. The yield – which moves inversely to price – on the 2-year bond or gilt dropped to minus 0.122 per cent in morning trading before rebounding slightly. The yield [...]
‘I was mistaken for a cleaner’, says Gina Miller July 10, 2020 Investment manager and Brexit campaigner Gina Miller has revealed she was mistaken for a cleaner at a City of London event because of the colour of her skin. Miller, who grew up in Guyana and was named the UK’s most influential black person in 2017, said it is “extraordinary how those biases are still there”. [...]