Reeves: Cutting ties with China would be ‘foolish’ April 19, 2025 Chancellor Rachel Reeves has said it would be “foolish” to stop engaging with China. Reeves is due to hold talks with the US next week amid efforts to strike a trade deal, which the UK hopes can help soften the brunt of Donald Trump’s tariffs. There has been speculation that Washington may press the UK [...]
Starmer and Trump discuss ‘ongoing and productive’ trade talks April 18, 2025 Sir Keir Starmer has spoken to Donald Trump in the first call with the US President since he unveiled 10 per cent tariffs on all goods imported to America from the UK. The two leaders discussed the “ongoing and productive discussions” on trade between the two countries, a Downing Street spokesperson said. “The Prime Minister [...]
Trump’s tariff madness is based on anti-capitalist zero-sum thinking April 18, 2025 What is the real reason behind Trump’s punitive tariffs? Two beliefs that have frequently wreaked havoc in the past, writes Rainer Zitelmann.
HSBC, Barclays, Lloyds: Lenders bank on interest rate cut as mortgage ‘price war’ heats up April 17, 2025 Top UK lenders are offering more mortgages to prospective house buyers, the Bank of England has revealed, as falling interest rates stir up a “price war” on the high street. The Bank’s credit conditions survey revealed that the burgeoning supply of mortgages would come against a levelling off in demand in the three months to [...]
Workspace: Lettings activity surges but CEO warns on economic uncertainty April 17, 2025 Workspace lettings activity in Q4 was up around 15 per cent of the same quarter in the previous year, as the group competed for over £10m worth of new rentals
Weak dollar restricting market rebound, say Barclays analysts April 16, 2025 A weakened dollar may prohibit the full recovery of global markets, analysts have warned, as investors continue to suffer the fallout from the Trump tariff mayhem. The DXY index, which tracks the dollar’s value against a basket of currencies, sank to its lowest in three years during Monday trading. This came after markets plunged following [...]
FCA to rip 140 pages out of handbook in deregulation drive April 16, 2025 The UK’s financial watchdog has vowed to rip scores of pages from its handbook as it slashes red tape in a drive to boost growth. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) said as many as 140 pages will be removed from the lengthy handbook, as it opened a consultation on scrapping data collection requirements. The move [...]
WH Smith: High street profit slumps ahead of Modella sale April 16, 2025 WHSmith’s high street division has reported a significant drop in trading profit, falling by over 30 per cent as it prepares for its sale to private equity firm Modella Capitlal. The retailer’s high street business delivered a profit of £15m for the six months to Febuary 28, 2025, down from £22m in the same period [...]
Bank of America, JP Morgan, Goldman Sachs: Wall Street cashes in on market volatility April 15, 2025 Wall Street’s banking giants pocketed record revenues in the first quarter of 2025 as market volatility ramped up. Top lenders were able to smash profit expectations after reaping the rewards of a trading boom caused by President Donald Trump’s erratic tariff agenda. Trump’s bait-and-switch on tariffs triggered countless sell-offs as traders across the globe ditched [...]
London’s beloved corner shops can’t survive more red tape April 15, 2025 Red tape, business rates and vape bans are at risk of pushing corner shops to the brink, writes Andrew Boff.