Getting Brits to invest will take more than tweaking ISAs February 25, 2025 Rachel Reeves is considering reducing the tax-free limit on cash ISAs to encourage people to invest in stock and shares, but she should go even further, says Emma Revell It is one of the most popular and best understood savings tools available for Brits, but there could be a big shake up coming for the [...]
Axe the EU’s import tax to save consumers money February 25, 2025 More than five years on from Brexit we are still sticking to EU rules that see Brits paying over the odds for branded goods that manufacturers are happy to sell cheaper elsewhere, says Martin Howe KC This month we have seen rising inflation and the threat that the Bank of England will have to defer [...]
Cash ISAs: Will Rachel Reeves bring in a ‘tax on savings’? February 24, 2025 The financial industry has split over whether Chancellor Rachel Reeves should be cracking down on cash ISAs to encourage investment. While Reeves has ruled out scrapping cash ISAs completely, the Treasury is currently mulling whether to bring the limit for them down to just £4,000 a year. Currently, investors have a tax-free allowance of £20,000 [...]
National Grid to sell US renewables business to Brookfield February 24, 2025 National Grid has agreed to sell its US renewables business to Canada’s Brookfield Asset Management in a deal worth £1.4bn. The UK’s energy operator said the transaction would be an “important step” in long-running plans to slim down the business. National Grid sold both its Electricty System Operator (ESO) and its holdings in National Gas [...]
Just Eat shares rise 50 per cent on £3.3bn Prosus deal February 24, 2025 Global tech firm Prosus has made an offer to acquire Just Eat Takeaway.com for £3.3bn. The Amsterdam-based firm said it intends to launch the offer “as soon as practically possible”, which the company said was likely to be in the second quarter. The deal is expected to be completed by the end of the year. [...]
Average advertised annual salary surges to almost £41,000 February 24, 2025 The average advertised annual salary has increased to almost £41,000, according to new research. Jobs site Adzuna said higher average wages were fuelled by “significant” increases in sectors such as manufacturing and maintenance. Other sectors with big annual increases were said to including logistics, customer services and domestic help and cleaning. But job vacancies have [...]
Budget costing jobs and pushing up inflation, survey suggests February 21, 2025 Excluding the pandemic, employment fell at the fastest pace since the global financial crisis, the survey suggested.
Consumer confidence rises in February but cost-of-living crisis ‘far from over’ February 21, 2025 Brits’ confidence rose in February, fueled by better personal finances and a brighter outlook on the general economy. However, confidence remained down on last year. GfK’s index measuring changes in personal finances during the last year rose three points to -7, seven points better than February 2024. The major purchase Index rose three points to [...]
Green shoots? UK retail sales beat expectations in January February 21, 2025 Brits returned to the shops in January as discount spending fueled the first monthly rise in retail sales volumes since last August. Retail sales volumes rose 1.7 per cent in January, following a fall of 0.6 per cent in December, according to the ONS. Analysts had expected growth of just 0.3 per cent. This was [...]
Instead of allowing SMEs to thrive, Labour is punishing them February 21, 2025 From day one, this Labour government has prioritised the interests of unions and the public sector over the businesses that actually generate jobs and growth, says Danielle Dunfield-Prayero Labour’s true colours are now on full display. Despite years of warm words to business in the run-up to the General Election, their instincts remain unchanged: the [...]