Bank of England hikes rates at successive meetings for first time since 2004 February 3, 2022 The Bank of England today flexed its inflation fighting muscles and hiked interest rates at successive meetings for the first time since 2004. A majority of the Bank’s committee of rate setters voted to lift rates 25 basis points to 0.5 per cent. The consecutive rate hikes mark a sharp policy shift from Threadneedle Street [...]
Household energy bills to rise 54 per cent to nearly £2,000 per year February 3, 2022 Household energy bills will rise to £,1971 per year from April 1, after Ofgem announced its latest update to the consumer price cap.
Rishi Sunak to offer council tax rebates and cuts to protect households from rising energy bills February 3, 2022 The Treasury is preparing a council tax rebate scheme as part of Chancellor Rishi Sunak's plans to ease the pressure on UK households this spring.
The rallying cry of levelling up has been cash-strapped and watered down February 3, 2022 People deserve to live in a country where life is not a postcode lottery, says Michael Gove in the foreword of the much awaited flagship plan for levelling up unveiled yesterday. This is one of those recycled truisms we hear again and again in politics. The same could be said for much of the white [...]
As Johnson and Starmer dance to the same tune, politics will look for an outsider February 3, 2022 THIS week, the Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has invoked Margaret Thatcher in an effort to skewer Boris Johnson for ignoring Covid rules and attacked the Prime Minister for presiding over a policy of “low growth and high taxes”. It’s a strong position for Starmer to be in, as support for Johnson groans under the [...]
Scottish Widows lays out plans for net zero pension investments February 3, 2022 Pensions giant Scottish Widows has rolled out plans to decarbonise its investment portfolio and halve emissions by 2030.
Starmer ramps up attacks on ‘high tax’ Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak February 2, 2022 Sir Keir Starmer has renewed attacks on Boris Johnson for overseeing a series of tax rises, saying that the Prime Minister is targeting “working people” as inflation soars. The Labour leader today said Johnson and chancellor Rishi Sunak were like a “Tory Thelma and Louise, hand-in-hand as they drive the country off the cliff and [...]
Government plans £6bn loan scheme to protect households from soaring energy bills February 2, 2022 Downing Street will offer struggling energy companies access to billions of pounds in state-backed loans, according to The Times.
Rishi Sunak urged to allow National Crime Agency to probe ‘astronomical levels’ of Covid loan fraud February 1, 2022 Chancellor Rishi Sunak should allow the National Crime Agency (NCA) to investigate “astronomical levels of fraud” that was allegedly committed during the coronavirus pandemic, according to the Labour party. The party will use an opposition day debate in the Commons later today to attempt to get Government backing for an investigation after it was revealed [...]
Households braced for mortgage shock ahead of rates hike as cost of living crisis deepens January 31, 2022 Fresh warnings over the cost of living have been issued as millions of households could face a huge mortgage shock. Trade body UK Finance has said one in four mortgage borrowers on variable rate deals will be affected by an anticipated rates rise, The Telegraph first reported. The Bank of England is anticipated to hike [...]