Public sector pay outpaces private amid Budget pressures October 14, 2025 Public sector pay has outstripped private sector pay on an annual basis, according to new official data, with the added pressures on public finances set to force Chancellor Rachel Reeves to hike taxes at the Budget. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said annual average regular earnings growth was 4.4 per cent for the private [...]
Unemployment rises as concerns grow for UK jobs market October 14, 2025 The unemployment rate rose slightly to 4.8 per cent in September, while the inactivity rate was 21 per cent, “largely unchanged” on the previous quarter but below levels seen a year ago. The estimated number of vacancies in the UK also fell by 9,000, marking the 39th consecutive period of job posting declines. The ONS [...]
Mind the Split: London is the best city to be a divorce lawyer October 14, 2025 London’s reputation as the divorce capital of the world looks set to grow after a recent court ruling paved the way for more foreign cases to be heard in the city. Litigation-focused law firm Stewarts has expanded its high-net-worth practice to meet rising demand for complex, high-value divorce work. High-profile, high-net-worth divorces collect media headlines [...]
AI bubble: Are we in the trough of disillusionment? October 14, 2025 As the term 'AI bubble' floats around the City, Susannah Streeter examines the outcomes of a potential dot.com-style boom and bust.
Retail sales slow as Budget and inflation weigh on spending plans October 14, 2025 Retail spending slowed in September, as a tax raising Budget and higher household inflation expectations forced Brits to tighten their belts before the all-important ‘Golden Quarter’. Total retail sales in September increased by 2.3 per cent year on year, down from the 3.1 per cent that the sector notched up in August and the 2.5 [...]
Nigel Farage vows to make savings before tax cuts October 13, 2025 Reform UK’s Nigel Farage has vowed to make sweeping spending cuts before cutting taxes for Brits while hitting out at “cretins” for imposing too much regulation in the City in comments that reflect his moves to take on economic policy head-on. Farage said the party’s next manifesto would be “fully-costed”, a statement that reflects the [...]
Andrew Bailey: Stock markets could crash if debt levels spiral October 13, 2025 Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey has warned that stock markets could suffer a “disorderly adjustment” due to spiralling debt levels and other vulnerabilities. Ahead of a seminal week in Washington DC where global financial leaders are set to discuss the future of multilateralism, Bailey said bullish markets and spiralling sovereign debt levels had left [...]
China fires back at Trump’s 100% tariff threat as markets jitter October 12, 2025 Just a day after president Donald Trump sent global markets reeling with his promise of a fresh 100 per cent tariff on Chinese imports, Beijing has struck back, accusing the US of “double standards” and warning that it could introduce its own countermeasures. A spokesperson for China’s Commerce Ministry said Washington’s threat to punish Beijing [...]
Reeves ‘pressures business chiefs to talk up the UK economy’ October 11, 2025 Rachel Reeves has ramped up pressure on business leaders to “talk up” the economy in the run up to the Autumn Budget. The Chancellor has framed her rallying cry to businesses that if they do not support a positive narrative around the economy, they risk Nigel Farage becoming Prime Minister. The Treasury has warned top [...]
Recession fears spike after Trump threatens new China tariffs October 11, 2025 President Donald Trump has said he will slap an additional 100 per cent tax on Chinese imports by 1 November or sooner spiking recession fears after global markets tumbled. Taking to his Truth Social platform, Trump cited the export controls placed on rare earths by China as the reason for the fresh levy. The President [...]