IMF upgrades UK growth forecasts despite tariff turmoil May 27, 2025 The International Monetary Fund has upgraded its forecast for UK economic growth this year, despite warning that turmoil around US tariffs will stymie performance. The global body upgraded GDP growth predictions for the UK in 2025 to 1.2 per cent, up from the 1.1 per cent it had forecast last month. However, economists at the [...]
Relentless surge in government debt is unsustainable says BIS May 27, 2025 Policymakers across the world need to get a grip on the relentless surge in public government debt, a leading economist has warned. Agustin Carstens, general manager of the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) said fiscal authorities have a “narrow window” to put their house in order “before the public’s trust in their commitments starts to [...]
Britain’s start-ups reeling from economic pressure May 27, 2025 Start-up businesses are feeling the sting of an uncertain economic landscape as fresh research shows new firms are employing fewer staff than ever before. The average number of staff for a new firm had slumped to 2.64, down from 3.5 in 2017 according to Cynergy Bank’s latest Business Births and Deaths Index. The research, which [...]
Company bosses hit pause on growth plans after tariff shock May 27, 2025 Top UK business leaders have sounded the alarm on geopolitical tensions, warning that trade uncertainties are threatening their growth prospects. Nearly half of UK chief executives admitted to being “very or extremely concerned” about the impact of tariffs on their company’s operations and sales in the upcoming year. Concerns have led to company chiefs slamming [...]
Starmer plays a risky game on welfare reform May 27, 2025 Rightly or wrongly, Labour decided that the first signal they should send as a new government was that they wouldn’t duck tough economic decisions. The cut to the winter fuel allowance was offered up as the ultimate proof of their seriousness; politically difficult but, we were told, financially necessary. A direct line was drawn between [...]
New warning over ‘stealth’ £9bn income tax raid May 27, 2025 The government is under fire over its “stealth tax bombshell” as hundreds of thousands of Brits are set to be dragged into higher tax bands by the end of the decade. As many as 1.9m workers will see their pay fall into higher tax brackets by 2030 as the bands fail to keep pace with [...]
Starmer’s bid to ease welfare cuts piles pressure on Rachel Reeves May 26, 2025 Keir Starmer has told his cabinet to jettison the two-child benefit cap, according to reports over the weekend, in a move that piles pressure on the Treasury and chancellor Rachel Reeves. The cap, which was introduced by the Conservative party a decade ago, prevents low-income families from receiving additional universal credit after the first two [...]
Small businesses demand workers’ rights sick pay rebate May 26, 2025 Small business owners would continue hiring new staff despite fears around the government’s workers’ rights package if it contained a rebate on the overhaul’s new sick pay rules. According to a poll by the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), 35 per cent of entrepreneurs and small business owners believe that a rebate for their firms [...]
Was Rayner’s leaked memo an early play for party leader? May 26, 2025 Rayner's 'leaked' memo was a reminder that she is cut from different stuff than our iron Chancellor, but was it strategic, asks Eliot Wilson.
London vs New York: Who will win the fintech IPO war? May 24, 2025 A battle with New York awaits as Rachel Reeves sets her eyes on London fintech IPOs. The Chancellor has courted top fintech darlings in her attempt to boost listings on the London Stock Exchange (LSE) as a fleet of firms are flirting with floating in the near future. Monzo is reportedly consulting with investment bankers on [...]
