UK economy ambles into period of sluggish growth April 11, 2022 The UK economy has entered what is expected to be a protracted period of sluggish growth, official figures released today reveal. The early signs of inflation and tax hikes dealing a heavy blow to Brits’ spending are emerging in new GDP figures published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) today. The economy grew just [...]
Letters: Steer clear of risky debt April 11, 2022 [Re: Shoppers turn to buy now, pay later amid cost of living crunch, March 21] Buy now pay later is quickly changing the face of consumer finance. If used in the right way, the benefits it can bring to consumers are enormous. But – and it is a big “but” – this is no ordinary [...]
Explainer-in-brief: Energy strategy won’t push prices down for years to come April 11, 2022 When asked about the effect the newly unveiled energy strategy would have on prices, business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng replied“the impact could be very soon”. By very soon, he specified, he meant three or four years. Now, we know a transition to sustainable energy produced here takes time. No government could simply do some magic and [...]
We need green jobs to build bridges between net zero and the cost of living crisis April 11, 2022 London urgently needs a larger specialist workforce to decarbonise its commercial buildings and meet net zero targets. And there is growing evidence that employees in the capital’s built environment industry itself believe that the sector’s workforce lacks the skills required to achieve the UK’s ambitious climate goals. With concern over a widening “green skills gap”, [...]
National insurance hike sparks wave of job cuts April 11, 2022 Businesses have unleashed a wave of job cuts to cope with being hit by the national insurance hike, reveals fresh research released today. The pipeline of redundancies has taken off in the last month alone, triggered by firms scrambling to protect their bottom lines ahead of a series of damaging tax rises. The number of [...]
Money saving expert Martin Lewis warns of ‘civil unrest’ as costs soar April 10, 2022 Money saving expert Martin Lewis has warned the UK faces 'civil unrest' as the cost of living crisis worsens.
Tech Weekly: Alex Marsh, Head of Klarna UK, on post-Brexit financial regulation, consumer protection, and difference between Klarna and credit cards April 8, 2022 On this week’s Tech Weekly episode, City A.M. reporters Charlie Conchie and Lily Russell-Jones chat to Alex Marsh, Head of Klarna UK. They go through the Innovate Finance fintech summit, Buy Now Pay Later regulation and the UK’s financial regulation post-Brexit; measures needed to protect consumers from debt; what role services such as Klarna are [...]
Sunak tells Bank of England to ease up on opposition to fossil fuel April 8, 2022 Rishi Sunak has urged the Bank of England to ease up on its opposition to fossil fuel investment despite the UK's green commitments.
Sainsbury’s becomes first big grocer to pay London Living Wage amid cost of living crisis for Brits April 8, 2022 Sainsbury’s has confirmed that it will become the first major supermarket to pay the London Living Wage. Shop workers at Sainsbury’s and Argos stores in outer London will receive £11.05 per hour, a boost of 55p, from next month. The supermarket said this means staff in the outer areas of the capital will match employees [...]
Oil prices dip below $100 per barrel following IEA pledge to flood markets April 7, 2022 Oil prices dropped below $100 on both major benchmarks today - with markets weighed down by pledges from the IEA to boost supplies.