Firms stumped up extra £29bn for ‘astronomical’ energy costs June 19, 2025 British industry has had to fork out an additional £29bn to fund rising energy costs over the past four years, a fresh analysis has shown, adding further weight to calls for government bring down energy prices for British firms when it publishes its industrial strategy. According to the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU), firms’ [...]
Why the Bank of England will hold interest rates June 17, 2025 At every other meeting, the Bank of England publishes its monetary policy report alongside its interest rate decision. Each lengthy report includes fresh details on revisions to central forecasts, which are poured over with glee by economists and investors.. But this Thursday’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting will offer few statistical goodies. Officials will meet [...]
What does 10 years of Trump mean for the West? June 16, 2025 It’s a decade since Donald Trump announced his intention to run for President but it’s still no clearer what he stands for or why he does anything he does, says Eliot Wilson Ten years ago today, property entrepreneur and reality television star Donald Trump descended a golden escalator in his palace of vulgarity, Trump Tower, [...]
Israel-Iran conflict to dominate G7 meeting as Starmer calls for restraint June 16, 2025 The escalating conflict between Israel and Iran is likely to be high on the agenda as world leaders gather in Canada on Monday. Sir Keir Starmer said that the G7 meeting in Alberta would provide an opportunity for allies to make the case for de-escalation in the “fast moving” situation in the Middle East, with President Trump [...]
Zelensky warns oil price surge could help Russia’s war efforts June 14, 2025 A sharp rise in global oil prices after Israeli strikes on Iran will benefit Russia and bolster its military capabilities in the war in Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky has said. The Ukrainian president told journalists in Kyiv that the surge in oil prices threatens Ukraine’s position on the battlefield, especially because western allies have not enforced [...]
Will fintech banks survive falling interest rates? June 13, 2025 Fintech lenders have accelerated their swing to profitability after interest rates spiked. The UK’s neobanks pocketed record revenues in the last 12 months. Revolut’s takings grew 72 per cent topping £3.1bn. Meanwhile Monzo’s revenue hit £1bn for the first time. But this came as interest rates maintained a post-financial crisis high of 5.25 per cent [...]
Conservatives vow to end oil and gas windfall tax June 12, 2025 Kemi Badenoch will call for an end to the oil and gas windfall tax, in addition to scrapping Labour’s ban on new oil and gas licences, as she seeks to bolster her pro-growth credentials. The Tory leader is expected to announce her party will be “standing up for our oil and gas industry,” in an [...]
What a difference a day makes for Russia June 12, 2025 Today is 38 years since Ronald Reagan’s ‘tear down this wall’ speech, which ushered in the most free and fair election Russia has ever had, says Eliot Wilson There is such a thing as coincidence, and sometimes a specific date arises again and again in the same context. Today’s date, 12 June, was like that [...]
High Court rules aircraft lenders can recover loss from planes stuck in Russia June 11, 2025 In a substantial blow for insurers, the High Court concluded that 'War Risk' insurers to foot the bill over aircraft lost in Russia
Gold tops euro to become central banks’ second favourite reserve asset June 11, 2025 Central banks now hold more gold than euros in the face of global trade tensions and volatile markets, according to a report produced by the European Central Bank (ECB), making it the world’s second largest reserve asset after the US dollar. Purchases of gold were twice as high in 2024 as the average seen over [...]