Pressure on Bank of England and Reeves as inflation spikes July 16, 2025 The UK economy is at risk of ‘stagflation’ after official data revealed that inflation edged up to 3.6 per cent in June, putting further interest rate cuts by the Bank of England at risk. In the latest set of price growth data before the next monetary policy decision in August, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reported that [...]
Housebuilding targets are one thing, but we need mortgage reform too July 16, 2025 Increasing the supply of new homes won’t make homeownership more affordable by itself – we need new kinds of mortgages too, says James Browne The government’s planning reforms that aim to increase the housing stock by 1.5m homes by the end of the parliament are a welcome step towards addressing Britain’s housing crisis. But supply [...]
Firms spring into gear as Reeves green lights UK captive insurance regime July 15, 2025 The UK government has greenlit a captive insurance framework with Rachel Reeves set to reveal the decision in her Mansion House speech this evening
Scammers target struggling grads and school leavers amid jobs slump July 15, 2025 Young people applying for their first jobs are being confronted a double threat: a shrinking pool of entry level roles, as well as a surge in sophisticated job scams on social media. With graduate job postings down by a third year on year, fraudsters are exploiting the desperation of university graduates and school leavers by [...]
Rachel Reeves launches major fintech push to galvanize listings July 15, 2025 Rachel Reeves has laid out the government’s plans to make the UK the world leader in fintech in the Chancellor’s latest effort to attract a fleet of listings from the industry. Reeves today unveiled the Treasury’s Financial Services Growth and Competitiveness Strategy, in which she laid out her vision to make the UK the “world’s [...]
Enough with black-hole blaming, Reeves is ignoring low hanging fruit July 15, 2025 Raising taxes and plugging black holes, Reeves's discourse ignores proven (and easier) methods to boost productivity, says Paul Ormerod.
Give business a voice to get back to growth July 15, 2025 The energy, ambition and innovative new ideas we need to turn Britain around is out there, it just needs to make itself heard, says Emma Revell Last year I wrote – on these very pages – that “[o]ne of the biggest hurdles we face as a country is a fundamental misunderstanding between the people who [...]
B&M’s shares drop despite hints of turnaround from new CEO July 15, 2025 B&M has reported a strong set of results under its new CEO after a tough year and a half marked by supply chain issues. But its share price still plunged by 13 per cent in early trades, pulled down by concerns about margin pressures like price deflation and cost inflation. The FTSE 250 company told [...]
Close Brothers drops brewery arm amid operations overhaul July 15, 2025 Close Brothers is set to sell off its specialist service provider division for the beer industry as the banking group continues to overhaul operations. The FTSE 250 listed group established Close Brewery Rentals Limited (CBRL) in 2007, which provides keg and cask rental, leasing, and management services for breweries and beverage producers. The division offers [...]
Tax debate goes from comedy to tragedy July 15, 2025 When I suggested recently that we were going to experience déjà vu, with another summer of endless tax rise speculation, I didn’t imagine the experience would be quite so profound. And yet, having already enjoyed the spectacle last year of Labour MPs trying to define “working people” they’re now treating us to a rerun of [...]