UK cost of living crisis to tame runaway house prices, says Savills May 31, 2022 The UK’s cost of living crisis is expected to stunt house price growth for the rest of the year, according to estate agents Savills, taming property costs which continue to hit record levels. Affordability pressures will leave house prices no choice but to slow in their ascent, as property deals and mortgage approvals fall in [...]
Mortgage approvals fall following interest rate rises May 31, 2022 Mortgage approvals have fallen to the lowest level seen since the peak of the UK’s house-buying frenzy in June 2020, according to official data today. Brits were approved 66,000 mortgages in April, down from 69,500 in March, data from the Bank of England has revealed. This is slightly below the pre-pandemic average of 66,700, [...]
Sadiq Khan sets aside £43m for Londoners struggling to keep homes warm May 31, 2022 London mayor Sadiq Khan has set aside £43m to boost his Warmer Homes programme, which seeks to support those in poorly insulated properties. With energy bills expected to rise again this winter, amid a cost of living crisis, Khan is looking to create grants of between £5,000 and £25,000 available to low-income households. Energy regulator [...]
Boris Johnson will be a slave to U-turns until he discovers the art of policy flexibility May 31, 2022 It is not easy for a party to run the country for twelve years, so have some pity on the Conservative Party. Perhaps it was in response to the absolute dearth of ideas ranging from “getting a better paid job” to shopping “own-brand products” that Rishi Sunak finally capitulated and delivered a mini-budget last week [...]
BP and Total Energies most exposed to North Sea oil and gas levy May 30, 2022 BP and Total Energies will suffer the biggest losses in earnings from the government's announced levy on North Sea oil and gas operators, says UBS.
Missguided collapses into administration as fast fashion brand seeks buyer May 30, 2022 Missguided has collapsed into administration, after being hammered by supply chain costs and weakening consumer confidence. Fast fashion rival Boohoo is interested in snapping up the beleaguered brand, CityA.M. understands. Administrators from Teneo said there was “a high level of interest from a number of strategic buyers.” The Manchester-based firm had fallen foul of an [...]
Exclusive: London is the Silicon Valley of Europe, but ‘can not afford to sit on its tech laurels’ May 30, 2022 Forbes heralded London recently as the Silicon Valley of Europe as the capital proved to be “Brexit-proof” with around 18,500 new startups registering in 2021 alone. Although hybrid working has been adopted by many companies, London remains a place where giants such as Google, with its King’s Cross ‘landscraper’, nestle with newer companies such as fintech boomer Revolut, [...]
Exclusive: Staggering £130bn worth of homes left empty in London alone with record 87,731 vacant properties May 30, 2022 It has emerged that the value of vacant homes in London equates to over £130bn. London has a total of 87,731 vacant homes, making it the top city in the UK for the prevalence of empty houses. With house prices averaging £1.49m in the capital, the cost of vacant homes is approximately £130.8bn. A recent study [...]
Competition watchdog warns of pastry price rises amid Jus-Rol and Cérélia merger May 30, 2022 The competition watchdog has raised concerns that a merger between two bake-at-home dough producers could lead to higher prices of pastries. The Competition and Market Authority’s (CMA) said it was concerned about a merger between Jus-Rol and Cérélia, with fears prices would rise while the quality of products could suffer. After the deal, Paris-based Cérélia [...]
Sainsbury’s to pump £500m into offsetting rising costs as CEO says ‘we have to make it easy’ May 30, 2022 Sainsbury’s boss said this morning the supermarket giant plans to pump fresh funds into offsetting rising costs over the rest of the year as shoppers become “increasingly concerned” about their finances. The UK’s second largest supermarket chain said it will invest more than £500m into lower pricing by March 2023 as part of a long-term [...]