Retail sales fall for eleventh consecutive month August 27, 2025 UK retail sales have continued their steady decline as price pressures weigh on already-stretched consumers, according to new data. The CBI’s monitor for annual retail sales was little changed at -32 in August, from -34 in July. “Weak demand and higher labour costs continue to put pressure on margins, dampening sentiment across the retail and [...]
Jubel CEO: ‘We’re doing something different and it’s working’ August 27, 2025 When CEO and founder of Jubel, Jesse Wilson, left his corporate role to create his own lager, he knew he wanted to carve out a peach-shaped niche in a saturated beer market. Since its launch in 2018, Jubel has reached that goal, with its trademark fruity lager on tap in nearly 1,500 pubs across the [...]
Ofgem ups energy price cap August 27, 2025 The energy watchdog has announced that the energy price cap will be raised by a higher than expected two per cent between October and December. Ofgem’s decision is set to push the typical household’s energy spend up to £1,755 per year, despite a fall in wholesale energy prices. This comes following a price dip over [...]
What has caused the M&A surge in the UK financial sector? August 27, 2025 The UK financial sector has seen an influx of merger and acquisition (M&A) activity so far this year as investors look to capitalise on emerging opportunities in the market. Growing economic stability in both the private and public markets, following a period of instability caused by inflation and soaring interest rates, has sparked a renewed [...]
Hiking minimum wage as graduate pay stagnates is incentivising mediocrity August 27, 2025 Hiking the minimum wage as graduate salaries flatline is creating a system where ambition is no longer rewarded, writes Steve Rigby.
Bank of England’s Mann: ‘Squeeze out’ inflation with rate holds August 26, 2025 Inflation is likely to become “persistently elevated” unless it is squeezed out with a more restrictive monetary policy than the Bank of England is currently predicting, a top Bank of England official has warned. In a hawkish speech delivered on Tuesday, Monetary Policy Committee member Catherine Mann said the spectre of further price rises looked [...]
Borrowing costs surge as gilts close in on 27-year low August 26, 2025 Long-dated gilts plunged to a near 27-year low on Tuesday, bringing the UK’s fragile fiscal position into even sharper relief in the run-up to the government’s second Budget this Autumn. The yield on 30-year UK government bonds, which moves inversely to the price, jumped by as much as nine basis points to 5.63 per cent, [...]
Pound edges up against dollar after Trump’s latest Fed attack August 26, 2025 The pound gained from a turbulent US dollar trading session on Tuesday after the greenback was stung by President Donald Trump’s attacks on the Federal Reserve. The dollar index (DXY) – which tracks the dollar’s value against a basket of currencies – tumbled as much as 0.4 per cent as Trump said he had “sufficient [...]
Trump says he will fire Federal Reserve governor August 26, 2025 President Donald Trump has said that he is firing Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook. The unprecedented move would constitute a sharp escalation in his battle to exert greater control over what has long been considered a financial institution independent from day-to-day politics. Mr Trump said in a letter posted on his Truth Social platform that [...]
Business rates ‘double whammy’ to cost English companies billions August 26, 2025 Businesses in England are to face an “unavoidable double hit” to their property tax payments next year, which will see total payments surge by about £2.5bn, according to new figures. Analysis from global tax firm Ryan indicated that inflation and a government tax change will combine to drive up business rates bills further. Business rates [...]