Spending cuts risk ‘doom loop’, ex-Bank of England economist warns January 22, 2025 Andy Haldane warned cutting government spending would be harmful for the UK’s longer term fiscal position, because it would weigh on growth. The Chancellor will receive fresh economic forecasts from the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) in March which will take into account sluggish growth since the Budget and higher government borrowing costs. These forecasts [...]
Further tax rises ‘a good bet’ after Chancellor’s borrowing blow January 22, 2025 Borrowing in the month of December was at its third highest level since monthly records began back in 1997, excluding only the pandemic and 2009.
Top 5 sustainability trends for 2025 January 22, 2025 By Mark McLardie, Head of ESG, Westcon-Comstor As 2024 slides into the rear-view mirror, policymakers and business leaders are left to reflect on a mixed and challenging year in the fight to protect the planet from the effects of climate change. New data confirms last year was the hottest on record, with Earth warming by more [...]
President Trump threatens to double tax rates for foreign firms January 22, 2025 Donald Trump has threatened to double tax rates for foreign nationals and companies in the US in what he said was a bid to hit back at “discriminatory” duties on American firms. The President set out a memo on his ‘America first’ trade policy on Monday which referred to an almost 100-year old element of [...]
Is Hamilton and Ferrari the biggest deal in sport, not just Formula 1? January 22, 2025 Lewis Hamilton tests his Ferrari today for the first time. Is this partnership one of the most iconic in sport? We take a look. Usually the thought of Formula 1 drivers testing their cars ahead of a new season wouldn’t even approach the realms of interesting. But at Fiorano Circuit near Maranello in northern Italy [...]
How much does tax really affect your decision making? January 22, 2025 From VAT on school fees to business taxes, we’re living through a live experiment with the effects of tax on people’s choices. Evidence suggests the results could be far from clear-cut, says Tim Sarson Last week, I was lucky enough to be on the panel for the Women in Tax network’s annual debate. The question [...]
Reeves has placed an uncertainty premium on the British economy January 22, 2025 Rachel Reeves promised to restore economic stability, but the outcome of her various actions has been to increase uncertainty, says Paul Ormerod Daniel Ellsberg, who died in 2023 in his 90s, was a true Renaissance Man. After a stellar career as an economics student at Harvard, he served in the Marines before working for the [...]
Why commuter trains are the best place to gather market intelligence January 22, 2025 From overheard conversations to poorly concealed laptop screens, the morning commute is a rich source of leaked information, says Sam Turvey Every year my communications consultancy puts out a global M&A leaks report highlighting where in the world leaks are most prevalent, and speculates on why people leak confidential information. A debate normally ensues about [...]
Natwest share price rockets to 10-year high January 21, 2025 The Natwest share price hit its highest level since February 2015 in early deals this morning as investors backed the bank for growth in 2025. The UK bank’s stock price is already up 95 per cent over the last year, making it one of the best performing stocks on the FTSE 100, and it shows [...]
Abrdn’s chief defends rebrand: ‘The name is the name’ January 21, 2025 Abrdn’s new chief executive defended the company’s rebrand from Aberdeen Standard Life and insisted its name will not change today despite a barrage of criticism over the ‘disemvowelment’ of the asset manager. “The name is the name and we will be continuing with it,” said Jason Windsor this morning, when asked whether he would consider [...]