Public sector workers’ pay growth lags private staff June 21, 2022 Public sector pay growth is lagging behind wage rises in the private sector, a closely watched survey published today reveals. Brits employed by taxpayer funded services such as the NHS and schools received an average pay rise of 1.4 per cent over the last year, compared to a three per cent bump for those working [...]
An online sales tax would be a small hassle for Amazon, but a hard blow for our shops June 21, 2022 The Treasury is considering whether to introduce an online sales tax (OST) as a “means to rebalance the taxation of the retail sector between online and in-store retail”. A decision is expected in autumn – probably as part of the Chancellor’s Budget. If the government has any sense, it will run a mile from taking [...]
Half-life crisis: Can Sizewell C revive the UK’s nuclear ambitions? June 20, 2022 The hovercraft, radar, Sutton Hoo treasure…Ed Sheeran - Suffolk has a colourful track record of innovation and discovery.
Rates will need to rise faster to prevent sticky inflation, BoE official warns June 20, 2022 Interest rates will need to rise faster to stop inflation from being “embedded” in the UK economy over the long-run, a top Bank of England official warned today. Catherine Mann, a member of the Bank’s nine-strong rate setting committee, said “a robust policy move… reduces the risk that domestic inflation already embedded is further boosted [...]
German factory prices surge at fastest pace since 1940s June 20, 2022 German factory prices are accelerating at the quickest pace since the late 1940s, propelled by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine lighting a fuel under European energy prices, official stats published today revealed. Producer prices jumped 33.6 per cent over the year to May, the biggest rise since Germany’s statistics agency started tracking the data in 1949. [...]
UK inflation to bump above 40-year high on soaring food and energy prices June 20, 2022 The cost of living in the UK bumped above an already 40-year high last month driven higher by soaring energy and food prices. That’s according to the City’s consensus prediction of Wednesday’s new inflation figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Analysts expect prices to have climbed 9.1 per cent over the year to [...]
London boroughs sound the alarm bells as skyrocketing inflation is eating £400m hole into budget June 20, 2022 Skyrocketing inflation is driving £400m of additional budget pressures on boroughs in the capital, London Councils warned this morning. Although the government increased local authority funding this year, fast-rising inflation has effectively cut £100m from the financial uplift boroughs received for 2022-23. London Councils, a cross-party group representing all 32 boroughs and the City of [...]
British manufacturers beg Treasury for more support to weather ‘the immediate storm’ June 20, 2022 British manufacturers have called on the Treasury to offer more support amid a poor economic outlook to help “weather the immediate storm”. Make UK, trade body for manufacturers, and consultancy BDO found that costs are continuing to rise and output opportunities have been stifled. A survey revealed that two thirds of companies (67.8 per cent) [...]
House price growth slows with real estate sector warning of affordability crunch for buyers June 20, 2022 The pace of house price growth slowed in May, with potential buyers’ tightening budgets set to slow growth further in the months ahead. According to today’s Rightmove’s house price index, buyer demand for available properties was down eight per cent last month, versus April. Even so, the price of property smashed another record, for the [...]
Indignant brokers fiercely dismiss Martin Lewis’ notion many mortgages are ‘a ticking time bomb’ June 19, 2022 The well-known personal finance guru Martin Lewis recently warned that mortgages are a “ticking time bomb” for homeowners, as he said Brits should lock in cheap mortgage rates soon before monthly payments become unaffordable. Lewis’ comments come as the cost of living for most Brits is climbing fast, with energy bills going up by an [...]