Bank of England record recession warning reinforced by fresh research November 7, 2022 A new survey out today reinforces the Bank of England’s warning last week that the UK is headed for the longest recession on record. The economy last month was functioning at the same level as during the teeth of the 2021 winter Covid-19 lockdown, according to consultancy BDO. The firm’s output index, which measures the [...]
Hunt faces potential Tory backlash as he draws up plans to raise £50bn November 6, 2022 There are growing government fears about a potential Tory backlash against Jeremy Hunt’s fiscal statement as he looks to find ways to raise £50bn. Hunt will raise taxes and cut future real-terms spending in his 17 November autumn statement, with the chancellor looking at proposals to freeze Income Tax thresholds as a part of a [...]
Cost of living special: Which everyday items have risen in price by how much recently? November 6, 2022 New figures showed recently that retail sales volumes have plummeted to 1.3 per cent lower than pre-coronavirus levels, as rising prices and the cost of living continues to bite. The ONS data said at the end of October that in particular food store sales were down, by 1.8 per cent last month, which is 3.2 [...]
Business leaders urge govt to restore ‘hard-won reputation for stability’ after rate rise and recession warning November 4, 2022 The government’s must restore the UK’s “hard-won reputation for stability” after this week’s rate hike and warning about a prolonged recession. A top wonk at the Confederation of British Industry responded to the Bank of England’s “bumper rate rise” to 3 per cent shows “the scale of the UK’s inflation challenge”. With inflation now over [...]
Bank of England delivers largest rate hike since 1989 and signals more to come November 3, 2022 The Bank of England today hiked interest rates by the largest amount since 1989 and signalled more rises are coming. The Bank’s rate setting committee voted unanimously to lift borrowing costs 75 basis points to three per cent, the highest level since 2008 and the eighth rise in a row. The pound shed more than [...]
UK economy headed for record recession if rates rise sharply, BoE warns November 3, 2022 The UK economy is on course to suffer the longest recession since records began if interest rates rise sharply, triggered by a toxic mix of higher mortgage costs, prices and energy bills, the Bank of England said today. Gross domestic product (GDP) will shrink for 24 consecutive months, beginning in the early stages of next [...]
Rediscover cycling and reclaim time with Estarli E-Bikes November 3, 2022 “Commuting will never be the same again,” says Estarli Co-Founder, Oliver Francis. “Thank Goodness.” The Hertfordshire eBike company is on a mission to empower more people to ride more. “We felt there was an element of hypocrisy when some eBike brands were shouting about the benefits of eBikes versus other methods of transport and then [...]
Recession starts to rage as UK service sector sees first decline since February 2021 November 3, 2022 The UK’s service sector saw activity decline last month for the first time since February last year. The S&P Global/CIPS UK services PMI survey showed a reading of 48.8 in October, down from 50 in the previous month. Any reading above 50 is considered growth, below that means the sector is shrinking. It was nevertheless [...]
BT hikes cost savings target as profits dip amid inflation and strike action November 3, 2022 BT confirmed it would be upping its cost savings target from by £500m this morning, as the UK’s biggest telecoms firm fends off inflationary pressure. In its half year results, the FTSE 100 company said profit before tax hit £800m, down 18 per cent on the previous year. Although revenue climbed a humble one per [...]
Expensive bites for millions of Brits as food inflation soars to record 11.6 per cent November 2, 2022 With even basics such as tea bags, milk and sugar seeing significant price rises, food inflation has soared to a record 11.6 per cent in October. Overall shop prices are now 6.6 per cent higher than they were this time last year – also a record – but food inflation jumped well above September’s 10.6 [...]