UK retail sales’ sluggish new year start as cash-strapped Brits go online to nab deals February 17, 2023 UK retail sales remained muted in January following December’s fall, with fuel sales spiking and prices continuing to plummet. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) released the figures which showed retail sales volumes increased by just half a per cent last month. This comes after it dipped by 1.2 per cent in December, despite the [...]
Wagamama owner has ‘little hope for future’ activist shareholder says, urging major strategy overhaul February 16, 2023 Wagamama owner The Restaurant Group has shown “little hope for the future” and is in need of a strategy overhaul, an activist shareholder has urged. Oasis Management, a hedge fund which holds a 6.5 per cent stake in the company, called on the hospitality firm to “re-align its priorities” and take immediate steps to restore [...]
Concern for millions as Ofgem confirms forced prepayment meter ban ends in April February 16, 2023 The suspension on forced installations only extends until the end of March, confirmed watchdog Ofgem in a letter to suppliers.
Brexit is ‘only thing’ that divided Corbyn and Starmer in shadow cabinet, Diane Abbott says February 16, 2023 Jeremy Corbyn “in his heart of hearts is a Brexiter”, one of his longest-standing allies has said, backing up a suspicion critics held during the EU referendum. Diane Abbott, who served as his shadow home secretary, said on Wednesday that Mr Corbyn is “anti-EU” and saw it as “a conspiracy of business people”. He followed [...]
Why is the UK economy poised to tumble into a recession and fall behind Europe, US and even Russia? February 16, 2023 Britain avoided a much-tipped recession at the end of last year. Phew. “However, we are not out of the woods yet,” warned Chancellor Jeremy Hunt after last Friday’s GDP figures from the ONS revealed the economy stagnated at the end of 2022, meaning it narrowly avoided the technical recession definition of two consecutive quarters of [...]
London is being hollowed out of clever 20-year-olds refusing rent hikes February 16, 2023 Young, talented people are leaving London in flocks because they can't afford the record spike in rents. It risks making the capital a place for the super wealthy only, writes Elena Siniscalco
Households could start switching energy suppliers in bid for cheaper deals as price cap plummets February 15, 2023 Millions of Brits could switch supplier later this year, with the energy market expected to become more competitive as gas prices ease.
Rail and postal strikes ‘decimated’ festive trade with worst impact for a decade February 14, 2023 London’s festive economy was “decimated” by rail and postal strikes, as new figures revealed the disruption caused by walkouts was the worst month on record since 2011. Around 843,000 working days were lost to strike action in December – the highest for more than a decade – according to official figures from the Office for [...]
Thames Water risks £500m shortfall after April bill hike as vulnerable customers fall behind on payments February 14, 2023 Hundreds of thousands of Thames Water's customers risk falling behind on their bills when prices rise in April, according to Outra.
Leap in business insolvencies as ‘tough start’ to 2023 leads to 52 per cent surge in compulsory liquidations February 14, 2023 Corporate insolvencies rose seven per cent year-on-year in January 2023 with the number of compulsory liquidations up over 50 per cent, according to figures released today. The Insolvency Service said 1,671 companies went insolvent in January 2023, a seven per cent rise on the same month the previous year and 11 per cent when compared [...]