NIESR top economist: Bank of England has tools to fight inflation May 30, 2022 The UK economy is in a bit of a bind. Households are being squeezed by historic rises in their living costs, while businesses’ margins are thinning due to expenses soaring. A much higher than expected inflation crunch – primarily the result of Russia’s unforeseen invasion of Ukraine – is forecast to trigger a spending pull [...]
Sunak’s care package prevents severe UK living standards shock May 26, 2022 Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s energy shock care package will prevent a severe erosion of living standards among the UK’s poorest households. That’s according to top wonks’ assessments of today’s round of measures designed to cushion the hit to households from soaring inflation and energy bills. Paul Johnson, director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), said: [...]
London-listed energy giants shake off windfall tax jitters May 26, 2022 London-listed energy firms shook off concerns over the impact of a looming windfall tax on their excess profits during opening exchanges this morning. The capital’s premier FTSE 100 index edged 0.09 per cent higher to 7,529.53 points, while the domestically-focused mid-cap FTSE 250 index, which is more aligned with the health of the UK economy, [...]
No point in having a state of the art transport system if our people can’t afford it May 26, 2022 This is a good month for trains in London. The Elizabeth Line finally opened on Tuesday, mostly to acclaim for its engineering and speed. The Northern Line works through Bank, which made north-south travel painfully difficult, ended punctually a week earlier. It’s briefly easy to forget the storm clouds gathering over public transport in London [...]
Slowing business activity strengthens UK recession risk May 26, 2022 Swelling costs and fears over rampant inflation forcing consumers to slash spending are eroding British businesses’ optimism, casting doubt over whether the country can avoid a recession, two surveys published today reveal. Households are cutting discretionary purchases in response to living costs climbing at the quickest pace in four decades, research by the Confederation of [...]
MPs are falling silent over potential of cryptocurrency May 26, 2022 The UK government’s ambitions to become a global hub for the cryptocurrency industry aren’t shared by MPs, research has found.
UK economy is ‘grinding to a halt’ amid cost of living crisis May 25, 2022 The UK economy is “grinding to a halt” as a tightening cost of living squeeze sends a chill through private sector activity, reveals a closely watched survey. Households are cutting spending in response to rampant inflation eroding their budgets, weighing heavily on the UK’s services sector, the country’s economic engine. Activity among services firms dropped [...]
The Bank’s climate warnings are too overblown to help May 25, 2022 What was it HSBC’s now-suspended banker Stuart Kirk said about alarmist climate warnings? “Unsubstantiated, shrill, partisan, self-serving, apocalyptic warnings are ALWAYS WRONG” was the title of the slide which has seen him taking some unexpected time in the garden, as he dared to offer the heretical view that reports of the world’s imminent demise may [...]
The City View: Crossrail finally arrives May 24, 2022 Today Andy Silvester talks to Adam Tyndall, Programme Director for Connectivity at London First. They talk all things Crossrail — from the first idea of an East-West railway in the 19th century, to the funding behind the Elizabeth Line, and to the future of London’s transport system. And in other news — Shell’s AGM was [...]
City banks and insurers will book £330bn climate change loss without action to control impact May 24, 2022 The City could lose as much as £330bn over the next three decades if the UK fails to tackle climate change, the Bank of England said today. Firms will struggle to pay back loans due to costs swelling as a result of higher carbon prices, according to conclusions drawn by the Bank from its first [...]