UK headed for stagnation on worst inflation crisis in G7, IMF warns October 11, 2022 A historic hit to Brits’ living standards from roaring inflation and rising interest rates has thrown the UK economy on course to stagnation, the world’s lender of last resort warned today. The UK economy will grow a better than expected 3.6 per cent this year, according to the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) latest World Economic [...]
Redundancies dip by a third but gloomy outlook may mean rise is ‘inevitable’ October 11, 2022 The number of redundancies in the UK has defied doomsayer’ predictions and dropped a third in the last quarter, but a gloomy outlook means a rise is expected in the near future. Employment law firm GQIlitter reported there has been a 32 per cent drop in workers being let go, falling fro 53,000 to 36,000. [...]
Pret A Manger invests £10m in staff pay bringing salaries above inflation October 11, 2022 Pret A Manger will invest £10m to support its staff with the cost of living crisis, bringing pay above inflation. The outlet will give its workers a salary boost from 1 December to the tune of five per cent. This comes after the coffee chain invested £9.2m in April this year, with 6,500 of its [...]
Spike in package holidays and foreign travel may be ‘rare positive legacy of pandemic’ October 11, 2022 Foreign holidays are back with a bang with 45 per cent of people going abroad in the last year. The latest study from travel agent association ABTA found the level of foreign travel in the last 12 months was equivalent to 70 per cent of that in 2019, pre pandemic. With coronavirus restrictions lifted, a [...]
West End has 109 per cent sales boost but retail leaders call for ‘urgent’ business reform October 10, 2022 West End retailers are calling for fresh support and radical reform to help continue their pandemic recovery. The organisation representing 600 outlets and hospitality firms in Bond St, Oxford St, Regent St and Mayfair announced the district is returning to pre-coronavirus levels, but that it still needs help to stop it faltering. The New West [...]
OBR financial report and government fiscal plan to be delivered on 31 October October 10, 2022 The UK’s spending and borrowing watchdog’s assessment of the government’s tax cutting splurge will be released on 31 October, chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng announced today. In a letter to Tory MP and chair of the treasury select committee, Mel Stride, Kwarteng said he has decided to bring the Office for Budget Responsibility’s (OBR) forecasts forward from [...]
Last orders: Pub numbers sink amid calls for further support October 10, 2022 The number of pubs vanishing from communities in England and Wales increased by 50 per cent in the last three months, according to new data, amid warnings that more must be done to protect the great British institution. During the three months to the end of September, 150 pubs were either demolished or converted into other [...]
Nesta launches advice app to help households ease record energy bills October 10, 2022 Nesta has launched an app showing homeowners how to lower the flow temperatures of their boilers and cut record energy bills.
A cashless society is proof we need to challenge the Visa and Mastercard monopolies October 10, 2022 How often do you see a “card only” sign as you go to pay for your coffee? Cash payments have declined by two thirds since 2010, and card payments have become the de facto way to pay, accounting for 73 per cent of UK transactions in 2021. From this change, there have been two significant [...]
Trust the code, not the confused October 7, 2022 Rufus Round, CEO of GlobalBlock says political systems need to adapt to the crypto and digital assets technology heading their way.