The Notebook: Reforming the NHS, how the world got rich, and tax breaks for the over-50s January 16, 2023 The notebook is a place for interesting people to say interesting things. Today, it’s the turn of John O’Connell, Chief Executive of the TaxPayers’ Alliance Reforming the NHS no longer so unsayable? As the NHS endures its annual winter crisis – before it moves into its inevitable summer crisis – thousands of doctors are reportedly [...]
Ocado set to post grocery growth in latest festive update January 15, 2023 Ocado investors will be hoping it becomes the latest retailer to indicate that consumer spending over the key festive quarter was more resilient than many expected. The online retail giant is set to post an increase in grocery sales over the latest period when it updates investors on Tuesday 17 January. The firm’s technology operation [...]
British retailers cheer Christmas sales, but City analysts warn of coming storm January 15, 2023 Britain’s largest retailers kicked off 2023 strongly last week, posting better than expected Christmas sales, signalling the consumer is holding up a bit better than feared. Tesco’s like for like sales were 7.9 per cent higher, while Marks and Spencer pocketed a 7.2 per cent rise. Sainsbury’s also posted record Christmas sales. Those bumper numbers, [...]
More strikes: 100,000 civil servants WILL walk out next month after talks with government dubbed ‘total farce’ January 13, 2023 A strike by 100,000 civil servants is to go ahead next month after talks with the Government aimed at resolving a bitter dispute over pay, jobs and conditions were dubbed a “total farce”. Cabinet Office Minister Jeremy Quin met with union leaders to discuss growing industrial unrest after weeks of stoppages across the country, including [...]
Very: Shoppers splurge on air friers and games consoles, but group sales slide January 13, 2023 Sales at online retailer Very rose 2.2 per cent year-on-year during the busy festive season. Toys, gifts and beauty and home departments were the main beneficiaries of the spending splurge, with sales up 17.7 per cent and 10.2 per cent respectively. Games consoles and Ninja air fryers were the bestselling items during the seven weeks [...]
Gatwick’s passenger numbers soar staggering 420 per cent on 2021 – but airport is STILL behind pre-Covid levels January 13, 2023 Gatwick’s passenger numbers have soared over the past 12 months following the reopening of air travel post-pandemic restrictions, but it’s still down on pre-Covid levels . The West Sussex hub reported that almost 33 million people passed through its gates in 2022, up over 420 per cent on last year’s 6.3 million passengers. Nevertheless, the [...]
Londoners face unprecedented rent increases in 2023 as mortgage rates for landlords skyrocket January 13, 2023 Tenants are struggling this January. Along with the rest of the nation, they’re dealing with a cost of living crisis, driven by rising energy prices, and adding to this pressure is the rising price of rent. Moreover, landlords face unprecedented increases in mortgage rates, forcing them to up the rent. Tenants in London have endured [...]
FTSE 100 close: ASOS and Centrica pop to crystalise strong start to 2023 January 12, 2023 London’s FTSE 100 built on gains yesterday that propelled to its highest level since 2018 after a series of British bellwether retailers posted a decent set of results this morning and the owner of British Gas skyrocketed. The capital’s premier index closed up 0.89 per cent at 7,794.04 points, while the domestically-focused, mid-cap FTSE 250 [...]
Big fans: Wind powers half of UK’s energy needs with new record generation day January 12, 2023 Wind power generated record amounts of energy earlier this week, topping 21 gigawatts for the first time ever on Tuesday evening.
Luton’s busiest Christmas not enough as passenger levels lag behind pre-Covid glory January 12, 2023 Luton’s busiest Christmas day on record was not enough to return the airport to its former glory, with passenger numbers still significantly lagging behind pre-pandemic levels. The Bedfordshire hub said that 1.1m passengers passed through its gates in December, 87.9 per cent up on last year’s levels. Luton also reported its busiest Christmas day ever, [...]