Ex-Bank top economist Haldane says UK can strike Trump trade deal and boost EU ties November 12, 2024 The Bank of England’s ex-chief economist has said Keir Starmer can simultaneously strike a trade deal with Donald Trump and rebuild relations with the EU to show the UK is "open for business".
‘Disaster Budget will kill UK farming’, warns chicken king Boparan November 12, 2024 Entrepreneur Ranjit Singh Boparan, whose empire ranges from Bernard Matthews to Carluccio’s, has warned the autumn Budget is a “disaster for business” and will “deliver a final fatal blow to the thousands of small family-owned farms”. Boparan added that the “inheritance tax raid” on farms announced in the Budget on 30 October “risks supply being [...]
The Notebook: The consequences of spending, spending, spending November 11, 2024 Staggering government spending has become the norm since the pandemic, but the consequences are coming, writes Kokou Agbo Bloua.
What business can learn from military drone tactics — and what to avoid November 11, 2024 Drone technology could transform how we do business, but brings practical and ethical difficulties with it, says Paul Armstrong For businesses, the military’s use of AI-enabled drones offers a potent model of efficiency: remote inspection, logistics, and hazard mitigation. Imagine swarming AI drones optimising supply chains or inspecting dangerous infrastructure. The capabilities honed in combat [...]
Labour’s ‘growth’ agenda already looks like a bad joke November 7, 2024 Well, that didn’t take long to unravel: the first Labour Budget for nearly 15 years, and the first ever by a female chancellor, saw the parallels with Kwasi Kwarteng’s infamous 2022 mini-Budget emerging within hours. The comparison was misguided, although the jittery reaction of financial investors and rise in government funding costs told its own [...]
FTSE 100 falls back as traders digest Trump presidency November 6, 2024 The FTSE 100 pared its gains and sterling tumbled on Wednesday as traders digested how Donald Trump's presidency will impact the global economy and the UK.
Weir Group equipment orders surge as cost-cutting continues November 5, 2024 Mining specialist Weir Group saw group original equipment orders rise 15 per cent in the quarter, with the first positive original equipment orders growth since the first quarter of last year. The FTSE 100 firm’s cost-cutting programme is progressing at pace, with £19m of cumulative savings brought in so far, it said in a quarterly trading [...]
Nimbees: Rare bees foil Meta’s position in data centre arms race November 5, 2024 Plans for Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta to establish a nuclear-powered AI centre in the US have been disrupted due to a discovery of a rare bee species on the land targeted for the project. Meta aimed to partner with an existing nuclear power plant to secure carbon-free power for a new data centre, essential for advancing [...]
Retail sales growth slumps in October as consumers remain cautious November 5, 2024 Retail sales growth dipped in October due to pre-election anxiety, the latest figures have shown. According to the British Retail Consortium (BRC)-KPMG sales monitor, retail sales in the UK increased by 0.6 per cent year over year in October, compared to 2.6 per cent growth in October 2023. Food sales nudged up 2.9 per cent [...]
Did Rachel Reeves deliver a net zero Budget? November 4, 2024 The UK’s recent Budget included a series of measures which have prompted debate over its impact on achieving net zero. While Rachel Reeves announced significant investments in green energy, hydrogen projects and electric vehicle incentives, a number of her decisions have raised concerns about the effectiveness of the UK’s environmental sector. While Wednesday’s Budget announced [...]