Gold market turmoil as tariffs and Fed governor drive prices higher August 8, 2025 The gold market was plunged into turmoil on Friday after Donald Trump unveiled a dovish new Federal Reserve governor and slew of new tariffs including hefty duties on kilo gold bars from Switzerland. The precious metal rose more than one per cent through across Wednesday and Thursday – taking the spot price above $3,400 per [...]
July fails to bring summer boost for high streets August 8, 2025 Footfall on UK high streets fell again in July as shoppers continued their slow move online, dashing retailers’ hopes for a summer boost. Overall footfall – which includes high streets, retail parks and shopping centres – fell 0.4 per cent in July, while high street footfall fell 1.7 per cent. Andy Sumpter, Retail Consultant EMEA [...]
Bank of England cuts interest rates in historic vote August 7, 2025 The Bank of England has cut interest rates to four per cent in an unprecedented double vote as Monetary Policy Committee members clashed on the impacts of a crumbling jobs market and higher food prices. Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) members were told to vote a second time after four members voting for a 25 basis [...]
House builder blames ‘broken planning system’ and interest rates for loss August 7, 2025 In independent house builder has blamed the “broken planning system” and high interest rates putting off first time buyers for it falling into the red. Cheshire-based Eccleston Homes has reported a pre-tax loss of £1.2m for the 12 months to 31 October, 2024, down from the £2m profit it achieved in the prior year. New [...]
‘My boss knew I’d leave Freshfields from my first week in’: Nnamdi Emelifeonwu on setting up legal tech firm Definely August 7, 2025 Freshfields lawyer Nnamdi Emelifeonwu left law to set up legal tech firm Definely. He takes us through his career in Square Mile and Me.
Official statistics have become useless August 7, 2025 The pandemic has exposed the shortcomings in how we measure everything, from inflation to GDP to jobs, says Helen Thomas Statistics haven’t quite kept pace with the world they’re meant to measure. Designed for an economy of assembly lines and cheque books, many of today’s headline figures feel increasingly out of step with a digital, [...]
Investors should steer clear of Ed Miliband’s clean energy auction August 7, 2025 Labour’s upcoming AR7 renewable energy auction risks locking in higher energy costs for decades, as political support for net zero falters and public resistance to green subsidies grows, says Maurice Cousins Today applications open for the government’s latest renewable energy auction, Allocation Round 7 (AR7). In Whitehall, it is just another technocratic acronym. But for [...]
How the Conservatives can become the party of millennials like me August 7, 2025 Millennials make up the largest age cohort in many of the areas where the Conservatives need to shore up support. To win us back the Tories need answers on the cost of living, housing and tax, says Jamila Robertson Millennials are often given a hard rap – scoffed at as snowflakes by Boomers, and as [...]
Starmer refuses to rule out tax rises – and criticises forecasters August 6, 2025 The Prime Minister has refused to comment on whether he will break Labour’s manifesto pledges on taxes at this year’s Autumn Budget as he slapped down independent forecasters’ claims the government faced a £50bn black hole. The National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR) claimed Rachel Reeves would miss her borrowing target by £41.2bn [...]
Trump hikes India tariffs to 50 per cent for fuelling Russian ‘war machine’ August 6, 2025 President Donald Trump has imposed an additional 25 per cent tariff on India after the country’s government imported Russian Federation Oil. In an executive order signed on Wednesday, the White House said it would slap Indian imports with the fresh levy taking their overall rate to 50 per cent. The President warned on Tuesday he [...]