HSBC shares jump as lender ups bad loan provisions after tariff chaos April 29, 2025 HSBC shares rose in early trading after the lender increased provisions for loan losses in its first-quarter report. The FTSE 100 giant’s stock jumped two per cent as trade war woes clouded the lender’s results. The bank raised expected credit losses to $876m (£653m), from $202m in a stark indication of firm’s outlook on the [...]
Sir Jim Ratcliffe: Businesses can’t afford ‘heavy blow’ of net zero taxes April 29, 2025 INEOS founder Sir Jim Ratcliffe has slammed UK net zero policies as unaffordable and claimed carbon taxes are “killing manufacturing”. The Manchester United co-owner described payments to be made by INEOS’ Grangemouth as part of the UK Emission Trading Scheme (ETS), which puts a financial cost on carbon emissions, as “yet another tax bill” that [...]
Employment Rights: ministers refuse to listen – and we’ll all pay the price April 29, 2025 Entrepreneurs know better than anyone just what it takes to get an idea off the ground, and to keep it alive. The common phrases associated with starting and growing a business are clichéd; the sleepless nights, the stress, the worry over payroll and the often crushing sense of responsibility – to family, employees and investors. [...]
EU youth mobility scheme exposes Labour’s immigration angst April 28, 2025 The government will not back it, the government will back it. It will grow the economy, it will make Brits poorer. It will reverse Brexit, it doesn’t bring us close enough to the European Union. It is not a youth mobility scheme, it’s a ‘youth experience’ scheme. Labour’s hokey-cokey dance around the possible introduction of [...]
EY: Two years of slow UK growth means ‘increased chances’ of tax rises April 28, 2025 Rachel Reeves may have to resort to reversing Labour manifesto tax pledges as UK growth fails to exceed one per cent for two years running, EY ITEM Club have said, in the latest blow to the chancellor’s fiscal plans The Chancellor has been warned by several forecasters that President Trump’s tariffs will hammer the UK [...]
Mervyn King hits out at Reeves’ ‘flawed’ fiscal rules April 25, 2025 Former Bank of England Governor Mervyn King has slammed forward-looking fiscal rules set by Chancellor Rachel Reeves. Reeves has defended her rules on spending as essential for boosting investment on infrastructure as she is given more space to borrow. But King argued today in the House of Lords that her rules in fact means extra [...]
Larry Fink: Britain is ‘undervalued’ and Yimbyism is essential April 25, 2025 BlackRock boss Larry Fink has described British assets as “undervalued” as he indicated that more investment would be pumped into the UK economy. The chairman of the world’s biggest investment company praised the urgency across Europe to deliver higher growth as he said that the UK had been “so smothered” by unnecessary regulation. “[We] have [...]
UK retail sales surge at the fastest rate in four years April 25, 2025 Retail sales unexpectedly rose in March as shoppers were boosted by good weather, according to new data. Retail sales volumes rose by 0.4 per cent in March 2025, following 0.7 per cent rise in February, according to the Office for National Statistics. Quarterly sales volumes rose by 1.6 per cent quarter on quarter and 1.7 [...]
Reeves to say global trade should provide ‘security for working people’ April 24, 2025 Rachel Reeves will tell foreign finance ministers that global trade should provide “security for working people” as she prepares for talks with her US counterpart. The Chancellor is in Washington for the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) spring meeting of finance ministers from the G7 and G20, and is due to sit down with US Treasury [...]
Andrew Bailey: Tariffs could push inflation down April 24, 2025 Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey has suggested that President Trump’s tariffs will have a disinflationary effect on UK prices unless more retaliatory measures kick into effect. In an interview with CNBC, Bailey said tariffs would slow down UK growth whatever happens but added he would be “encouraged” by a UK trade deal with the [...]
