Calls to cut taxes show ‘questionable judgement’, economists warn August 23, 2023 Economists have warned that calls from Conservative MPs for Chancellor Jeremy Hunt to cut taxes after improved borrowing data emerged show “questionable judgement”. Three backbench Conservatives piled the pressure on, according to the Financial Times, with calls for “personal tax reductions” to “stimulate the economy”. The pleas came after figures from the Office for National [...]
I see the Online Safety Bill as a digital double-edged sword August 23, 2023 Susie Violet Ward asks if the Online Safety Bill is nudging us closer to a digital dystopia like Orwell's 1984?
Ocado unveils price cuts on 200 goods as shares rise slightly August 23, 2023 Ocado’s share price grew just under one per cent on Wednesday following news it would slash prices on 200 more goods to entice customers. In recent months the tech-driven supermarket, which is owned as part of a joint venture with M&S, has been distancing itself from its reputation as an upmarket grocer with the brand [...]
FTSE 100 close: London markets finish in the green despite PMI dip August 23, 2023 London markets rose today despite new PMI data showing a significant slump in UK business activity. The FTSE 100 closed up 0.72per cent after a day in the green, while the FTSE 250, which is more aligned with the health of the UK economy, climbed 1.1 per cent. S&P Global’s Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) for [...]
PMIs: UK economy slips hard in August as recession warning lights flash August 23, 2023 The UK economy has contracted significantly this month according to a closely-watched index - triggering renewed recession warnings
UK pay deals cool for first time in 2023, easing pressure on BoE August 23, 2023 Pay deals awarded by British employers cooled for the first time this year in the quarter to July, which may calm the worries of Bank of England officials who fear wage growth is feeding inflation, a survey showed on Wednesday. Median basic pay deals in the three months to the end of July fell to [...]
Homes more affordable but borrowers stretched by rising mortgage costs August 23, 2023 The cost of a typical house is 6.7 times average earnings in Britain despite the recent slowdown in the property market, according to new figures. Mortgage lender Halifax said this is down from a record high of 7.3 times average earnings last summer, when a UK home cost an average £293,586 and the average annual [...]
Trade bodies warn Bank of England economic data ignores small business fears August 22, 2023 The proportion of businesses that will struggle to pay back debts due to rising interest rates could increase to the highest level since the financial crisis, the Bank of England has warned. In a blog post published today, the central bank said the proportion of firms that are seeing debt-servicing distress is projected to increase [...]
Recession warning flashes after ‘gloomy’ UK manufacturing data August 22, 2023 Recession concerns intensified today after new data showed manufacturing output fell at its fastest pace since September 2020 in July. According to the Confederation of British Industry’s (CBI) industrial trends survey, the balance of factories reporting a rise in output versus a fall slumped to -19 per cent, compared to plus three per cent in [...]
Edinburgh Fringe’s best jokes of 2023 have been revealed August 22, 2023 There are thousands of performers at the Edinburgh Fringe all trying out new material with the aim of making you laugh. But only one joke could with the best joke of the Edinburgh Fringe, as voted for by comedy TV channel, Dave. And it was a gag by the comedian Lorna Rose Treen who has [...]