Give parliament a vote on quantitative easing January 9, 2025 QE should not be the preserve of bean-counting central bankers – money printing is not an abstract issue, it has real consequences for people’s ordinary lives, says Sam Bidwell If one thing characterises British politics in the post-Thatcher era, it is a serial addiction to avoiding questions about the structure of our economy. On the [...]
Budget will force majority of firms to hike prices, survey suggests January 8, 2025 A majority of businesses will lift prices in the next six months due to the government's national insurance hike, a new survey suggests.
UK hotel sector warns on inflation despite pre-Christmas boost January 8, 2025 Occupancy rates at UK hotels rose last November in a pre-Christmas boost, but higher prices have again raised fears about inflation. The average occupancy rate of UK hotels rose from 76.6 per cent to 79.1 per cent in November year-on-year, while London also saw an increase from 79.6 per cent to 82.8 per cent in [...]
Former Bank of England governor Carney eyes Canadian PM role January 7, 2025 Former Bank of England governor Mark Carney is eyeing up the soon-to-be vacant role of Canada’s next Prime Minister. The Canadian-born economist confirmed he is considering the position in an interview today, following Justin Trudeau’s announcement that he will resign after nine years yesterday. Outside his residence at Rideau Cottage, in Ottawa, Trudeau said “internal battles” [...]
Construction momentum fades amid fragile consumer confidence January 7, 2025 Construction activity in the UK economy fell to a six-month low in December, a new survey shows, with momentum slowing across the sector. Housebuilding activity slipped deeper into contraction, according to S&P’s construction purchasing managers’ index (PMI), while growth in commercial and civil engineering work slowed compared to the month before. This meant that the [...]
Buying a house? Pay in cash for a £28k discount January 7, 2025 Buying a house is the largest purchase most of us will make in a lifetime – but it may be cheaper for some than others. Cash buyers now pay £28,000 less on average for a home than those relying on a mortgage, and the ‘cash discount’ has risen by 12.4 per cent in just two [...]
Porsche 911 Carrera 2025 review: Sensible sports car still sparkles January 7, 2025 For 40 years, the entry-level Porsche 911 has been called ‘Carrera’. Back in 1984, a 911 3.2 Carrera developed 231hp, accelerated to 62mph in 5.6 seconds and cost £31,950. For comparison, the new 911 Carrera driven here serves up 394hp, blasts to 62mph in 3.9 seconds and has a list price of £99,800. According to [...]
UK house prices climb at fastest rate since 2021 – but fears over Budget impact mount January 7, 2025 According to Halifax, UK house prices rose 3.3 per cent across 2024 as a whole, with the majority of the house price growth coming in the second half of the year.
How will the UK economy perform in 2025? January 7, 2025 The economy has shown few signs of life since June and business surveys since October's Budget have painted an incredibly bleak picture of the year ahead.
UK firms shed jobs at fastest rate in three years amid payroll hikes January 6, 2025 Weak demand and higher payroll costs have led to the steepest decline in service sector jobs since January 2021, according to a new survey. Nearly a quarter of survey respondents reported a fall in workforce levels, while 12 per cent signalled a rise, data from the S&P Global UK Services PMI showed. “Service providers widely [...]