Investec raises growth forecast and backs November interest rate cut August 29, 2025 Global banking firm Investec has lifted its growth projections for the UK economy with another interest rate cut pencilled in for 2025. The financial services company expects the UK economy to grow 1.5 per cent this year and 1.6 per cent in 2026. This trumps the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) forecast, which expects the [...]
Business confidence edges up despite tax raid fears August 29, 2025 Business confidence has grown for the fourth consecutive month, according to a fresh survey, despite rising speculation of a fresh tax raid on businesses by the Labour government. Lloyds Bank’s business confidence index edged up two points to 54 per cent in August as sentiment among manufacturers climbed to its highest in a decade. The [...]
Rachel Reeves told ‘copy Margaret Thatcher’ with bank tax raid August 29, 2025 Britain’s banking titans are back in the hot seat as Rachel Reeves faces renewed calls to hike taxes on lenders. The self-described “iron Chancellor” has been advised to take a leaf out of Margaret Thatcher’s book with a fresh levy on banks that would hand the Treasury up to £8bn a year. The levy – [...]
UK growth revised up two years late August 19, 2025 The UK economy grew slightly more in 2023 than previously assumed due to a change in how official statisticians calculate research and development (R&D) data, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said. Reflecting the difficulties in adding up output and consumption figures, the ONS said it was including new figures on tax data for R&D [...]
Rachel Reeves to slash environmental protections to boost builders August 18, 2025 Rachel Reeves is looking to take the axe to environmental protections blocking infrastructure projects in a bid to boost Labour’s building pledges. The Chancellor is considering reforms to prevent nature concerns from inhibiting new developments as she desperately looks to supercharge her growth agenda. Labour’s Planning and Infrastructure bill is in the committee stage at [...]
UK economy grows faster than expected in June August 14, 2025 The UK economy grew 0.4 per cent in June, official data has shown, in an unexpected turnaround following months of tariff and tax uncertainty. In the second quarter, GDP rose by 0.3 per cent after declining in both April and May. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the UK services sector, which makes up [...]
Bank of England interest rate cut offers modest boost for UK SMEs August 11, 2025 The Bank of England’s recent decision to reduce its base interest rate from 4.25 per cent to four per cent marks the first time borrowing costs have fallen to this level since March 2023, offering a modest reprieve for UK small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) after two years of elevated rates. According to new analysis [...]
Bank of England cuts interest rates in historic vote August 7, 2025 The Bank of England has cut interest rates to four per cent in an unprecedented double vote as Monetary Policy Committee members clashed on the impacts of a crumbling jobs market and higher food prices. Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) members were told to vote a second time after four members voting for a 25 basis [...]
Brits are gloomy – and not just about the weather August 5, 2025 Writers often agonise over how a column performs. I can see how many people read the online version of the Editor’s Letter and while our analytics don’t yet tell me what people make of my opinions they often spark a lively debate on LinkedIn. That can be satisfying, but that’s a self-selecting crowd of people [...]
Week in Business: Is it time to leave the country? July 31, 2025 Facing low growth and high taxes, more and more of my friends are having the same conversation, for the same reasons.
