Could the UK economy outperform the IMF’s dire recession warning? It’ll take a lot of luck February 1, 2023 Britain and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have a pretty chequered past. Yesterday’s bleak forecasts marked another chapter in the pair’s hate-hate relationship. Yes, the usual barbs that come from ministers of the incumbent government of the day after the lender of last resort’s forecast don’t help. We saw all that yesterday. But, older people [...]
A tumble in mortgage approvals could be followed by a fall in house prices, analysts believe January 31, 2023 Mortgage approvals have plummeted to their lowest since the credit crunch after the global financial crisis in 2008, excluding the pandemic when the housing market was shut down, in a sign house prices could fall sharply soon, according to official data. The number of loans to Brits to fund a home purchase dropped more than [...]
FTSE 100 close: London index kicks off new week softly ahead of expected Bank of England rate hike January 30, 2023 London’s FTSE 100 kicked off a new week in soft style today, with gains held lower by investors sweating over a string of big central banks raising interest rates this week. The capital’s premier index jumped 0.25 per cent to 7,784.88 points, while the domestically-focused mid-cap FTSE 250 index, which is more aligned with the [...]
Hambro SPAC ditches merger talks with biotech firm January 30, 2023 Hambro Perks Acquisition Company (HPAC), a pioneering special purpose acquisition company (SPAC), has abandoned plans for a merger with biotech firm Istesso. HPAC, which became the first SPAC to float in London in November 2021 after regulators overhauled UK rules, had been in talks with Istesso over a planned merger. Istesso is part-owned by London-listed [...]
Boris Johnson ‘lied’ over Putin missile attack claims, says Kremlin January 30, 2023 The Kremlin has suggested Boris Johnson told “a lie” when the former prime minister said that Russian President Vladimir Putin appeared to threaten him with a missile strike. The former Downing Street incumbent made the claim in a new three-part series for BBC Two looking at how the West grappled with Mr Putin in the [...]
The long shadow of Dominic Cummings might just start an invention boom January 30, 2023 ARIA, the government sponsored independent body is designed to fund new scientific and innovation projects. It might the last hangover of Dominic Cummings in Downing Street, writes Eliot Wilson
Boris: Putin threatened me with a missile strike – that would ‘only take a minute’ January 30, 2023 Boris Johnson has claimed that Vladimir Putin told him “I don’t want to hurt you, but with a missile, it would only take a minute”, in a call ahead of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The former prime minister said the “extraordinary” conversation took place in February after he had visited Kyiv in a last-ditch [...]
Bank of England, Fed and ECB to heap more pain on global economy – but could peak rates be in sight? January 29, 2023 City traders are gearing up for a week in which the world’s top central banks will heap even more pain on households and businesses by hiking interest rates to tame inflation – but they could send the first signal indicating they will stop doing so soon. The UK, US and eurozone economies are beginning to [...]
Fleet Street site amongst a host of Barclays bank branch closures January 28, 2023 Barclays has announced the closure of 15 branches across the country, meaning over 100 banks are slated to shut down so far this year. The bank is set to close 14 branches across England and one in Wales from late April to the first few days on May. Sites in London, Gosport, Bridgwater and St [...]
‘I haven’t paid an HMRC fine’ Hunt confirms, as calls mount for Zahawi to go over tax fiasco January 27, 2023 Chancellor Jeremy Hunt said he has never paid a tax fine, as ministers’ financial affairs come under scrutiny amid growing calls from Conservatives for Nadhim Zahawi to stand down. Hunt raised suspicions by twice refusing to say whether he has paid a penalty as he took questions after an economic speech, claiming the public are [...]