Starmer pledges to deliver ‘higher living standards’ in milestones speech December 5, 2024 Sir Keir Starmer has pledged to deliver “higher living standards” across the UK by the end of this parliament – but did not put a figure on his target. The Prime Minister aimed to flesh out his pre-election promise to kickstart economic growth, as he set out a set of new “milestones” in a major [...]
Firms set to hike prices, reduce pay and cut staff, Bank of England survey shows December 5, 2024 More than half of firms surveyed by the Bank of England expect to raise prices in response to the Budget.
Mike Ashley’s Frasers lowers profit guidance following Budget December 5, 2024 The retailer expects to deliver adjusted pretax profit in the range of £550-£600m for the 2025 financial year, down from £575-625m previously.
More big tax rises are ‘inevitable’, ING says December 5, 2024 Rachel Reeves will have to do another “big top-up” of tax rises this parliament, analysts at a major bank have said, despite the Chancellor previously vowing not to. In its outlook for 2025, published today, Dutch lender ING said that Reeves’ controversial October Budget “is likely just the beginning” of several more Budgets characterised by [...]
UK economy to ‘grow twice as fast’ as Europe in 2025 December 5, 2024 The UK economy is set to grow twice as fast as its European counterparts next year thanks to the flurry of spending measures announced in October’s Budget, a top bank has forecast. Britain’s gross domestic product (GDP) will increase by 1.4 per cent next year, analysts at ING said in the bank’s annual economic outlook, [...]
Businesses will ‘lick their wounds’ after Budget, even if growth picks up December 5, 2024 The BCC said the upgrades were driven by "increased levels of government spending" following the Budget.
Mark Kleinman: Tucker’s luck could mean handing over HSBC reins during a trade war December 5, 2024 Mark Kleinman is Sky News’ City Editor and is the man who gets the Square Mile talking in his weekly City AM column. This week he tackles HSBC’s chair changeover, the FCA’s recent climbdown, and a mighty job at Mitie. Tucker’s luck could mean handing over HSBC reins during a trade war Just as one swallow doesn’t make [...]
Bank of England: Andrew Bailey names ‘biggest issue’ after Budget tax hikes December 4, 2024 "How companies balance the mixture of prices, wages, the level of employment, what is taken on margin, is an important judgement for us," he said.
PMQs: Reeves ‘coming back for more’ in next Budget, Badenoch warns December 4, 2024 Chancellor Rachel Reeves will be “coming back for more” borrowing and further tax rises in her next Budget, according to Tory leader Kemi Badenoch. During a feisty PMQs the Conservative leader railed against the Prime Minister who she said “failed to repeat the Chancellor’s pledge of no more borrowing and no more taxes”. After referencing [...]
Budget tax hikes send business confidence to two year low, survey shows December 4, 2024 S&P's purchasing managers' index (PMI) for the services sector showed that business expectations for the year ahead were at their lowest level since December 2022.