Pound on best run since 1971 as FTSE 100 claws back gains April 22, 2025 The pound and the FTSE 100 continued their strong runs on Tuesday on the back of US instability. Sterling was on track for its 11th day of gains, which would be its longest streak since January 1971 – when the currency switched to the decimal system. It was up 0.6 per cent to $1.34 against [...]
Mortgage completions surged 50 per cent in March amid race to swerve stamp duty April 21, 2025 Mortgage completions have risen to their highest level since September as buyers rushed to avoid higher property taxes. Completions in March jumped 70 per cent compared to February for first-time buyers, according to Barclays, ahead of a change to stamp duty rates in April. “We experienced a blockbuster month for completions in March, as buyers [...]
UK firms put the brakes on investment plans post tariffs, survey finds April 19, 2025 Three quarters of UK manufacturing and logistics firms are bracing for a hit from US tariffs, with many putting the brakes on investment plans in a blow to the Government’s growth ambitions, new data reveals. Larger businesses are more likely to be expecting a squeeze from new global trade policy, according to a survey carried [...]
Staff at small businesses suffer falling wages April 18, 2025 Staff at small and medium-sized companies (SMEs) saw their wages fall at the end of March, new analysis suggests, as firms wrestled to absorb the impact of Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ national insurance tax hikes. Data released by the Office for National Statistics this week suggested that wage growth across the wider UK economy has exceeded five [...]
Easter getaway disruption expected on railways, roads and at Gatwick April 18, 2025 Millions of people are set to face disruption to their Easter travel plans this weekend due to major rail engineering works, strike action, heavy traffic and possible flooding. More than 300 engineering projects will be carried out by Network Rail across Britain between Good Friday and Easter Monday, prompting warnings for passengers to check their [...]
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 [...]
England Cricket drives on sponsor roster with Toyota deal April 17, 2025 England Cricket have strengthened their sponsorship roster with agreement with car giant Toyota. The multi-year deal will see the Japanese motor manufacturer become a principal partner of the England and Wales Cricket Board, supporting the grassroots game nationwide. It comes as banking giant Barclays became the main sponsor of Lord’s and the MCC. Toyota joins [...]
Allianz Stadium: What could Twickenham rugby arena look like after facelift? April 17, 2025 We’ve all been there, kettled into Twickenham station after a day out at Allianz Stadium watching England Rugby take on top international opposition. The 82,000-seat national stadium is the biggest purpose-built rugby arena in the world and sits behind only Wembley Stadium’s 90,000 in terms of UK capacity. But Allianz Stadium and its surrounding area [...]
Mark Kleinman: Is it Rathi vs Woods in governor race? April 17, 2025 Mark Kleinman is Sky News’ City Editor and the man who gets the Square Mile talking in his weekly City AM column Is it Rathi vs Woods in race to be next governor? And so it came to pass. A month after I wrote in this column that Nikhil Rathi was likely to stay on as chief executive [...]
Trump’s tariffs to tip world over into ‘recessionary phase’ April 16, 2025 A locking of horns between the US and China over tariffs could tip the world economy into recession as soon as this year, a closely-watched forecast has suggested, as businesses wrestle with the fallout of declining global trade volumes. Global growth is set to slow to 2.3 per cent this year, according to projections by [...]