Andrew Bailey’s stablecoin U-turn hailed as ‘positive step’ October 1, 2025 Andrew Bailey has issued a major climb down on stablecoins after previously being accused of “killing” the country’s ambitions with “prescriptive” views. The Bank of England governor – who has been branded a “dinosaur” by Reform’s Nigel Farage for archaic views on crypto assets – has now said the UK should “reap the benefits” of [...]
Bank of England’s Mann calls for sustained interest rate hold October 1, 2025 The Bank of England’s Catherine Mann has called for interest rates to be held where they are for longer before making a larger cut to revive the sluggish growth outlook, citing a recent spike in consumer inflation expectations as evidence price rises were embedding into the economy. The external Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) member known [...]
Tax hikes push firms to automate jobs, says top UK recruiter October 1, 2025 Tax hikes and wage pressures are putting Brits at risk of losing roles to automation and offshoring, a top UK recruitment firm has warned. Hays has warned Britain is becoming “unattractive to hire people permanently” as employer costs mounted over the last year. “Wage pressures and national insurance changes are pushing employers to explore automation [...]
‘Packaging tax’ to force further price rises October 1, 2025 UK businesses will be forced to pass the vast majority of costs incurred by a new packaging tax onto consumers, in a move that will stoke already rampant food inflation and compound financial pressures on hard-pressed households. According to fresh figures from the British Retail Consortium (BRC), retailers plan to pass over 80 per cent [...]
Bank of England’s Breeden says inflation ‘hump’ is transitory September 30, 2025 The Bank of England’s deputy governor has warned keeping interest rates too high could drag inflation below the Bank’s two per cent target in comments that further exposed the divergence that exists among central bank officials over the long-term path of inflation. In a dovish speech delivered at Cardiff Business School, financial stability deputy chief [...]
Business sentiment sours as firms brace for tax hikes September 30, 2025 Business sentiment slumped in September as firms were braced for a fresh round of tax hikes in the autumn Budget. Private sector confidence slipped from 54 per cent to 42 per cent, according to the Lloyds Business Barometer survey, data which is typically seen as more cheery than rival surveys. Economic optimism edged down for [...]
Gen Z will ‘need at least £3m’ to retire comfortably September 30, 2025 People in their 20s will need at least £3m pension pot if they want to enjoy a comfortable retirement, a fresh study has shown, throwing into sharp relief the corrosive impact that inflation has on savings. According to an analysis from Rathbones, a 25-year-old today will need a pension pot of £3.1m if they want [...]
Retail body warns against tax hikes amid ‘nightmare’ inflation September 30, 2025 Britain’s largest retail business group has warned the Treasury that further tax hikes on businesses will keep shop prices “higher for longer”, after data showed food inflation in September remained at its highest levels since the height of the cost-of-living crisis. British Retail Consortium (BRC) chief executive Helen Dickinson said even if the Chancellor chooses [...]
Will the ‘Brit card’ ID redefine privacy in the UK? September 29, 2025 Just last week, Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced plans for a new digital ID system, or so-called ‘Brit card’, aimed to provide UK citizens and legal residents with a smartphone-based identity card. By the end of the current parliament in 2029, digital ID is set to become mandatory for ‘right to work’ checks. The government [...]
How are ‘bankrupt’ France’s borrowing costs still lower than ours? September 29, 2025 Locked in a protracted political crisis over the extent of its indebtedness – and with its deficit running at over five per cent of GDP – France has earned itself the unwanted monikers of ‘the sick man of Europe’ and the ‘new Greece’. Despite these woes, its borrowing costs remain lower than the UK’s. Ali [...]