Inflation surprise scuppers hope of Christmas interest rate cut November 20, 2024 A bigger than expected rise in inflation last month has all but scuppered hopes of a cut to interest rates by the Bank of England in December. While economists had been expecting rising energy prices to push inflation beyond the Bank of England’s two per cent target last month, a sharper than expected lift in [...]
Lidl boss warns retailers are ‘reeling’ after Budget tax raid November 20, 2024 The boss of budget supermarket Lidl has warned retailers are “reeling” following Labour’s tax raid in the Autumn Budget. The German supermarket’s UK boss Ryan McDonnell said the discount brand was staring down the barrel of “tens of millions of pounds” in extra costs. This comes after the Chancellor unveiled a £25.7bn tax-raising package, with [...]
Ofgem tells E.ON Next to pay up over prepayment meter failings November 20, 2024 The energy regulator Ofgem has told provider E.ON Next to pay up £14.5m for failing to provide final bills and refunds to its customers. E.ON failed to provide customers energy bills or give them back money owed on credit balances for prepayment meters. This comes after an investigation by Ofgem found that nearly 250k prepayment [...]
Surging housing costs push inflation back above Bank of England target November 20, 2024 Inflation has risen back above the Bank of England’s two per cent target, the latest data has shown today. According to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) consumer price inflation (CPI) hit 2.3 per cent in October. The figure came in above economists projections. Economists had forecast CPI to come in [...]
Reeves must answer ‘incredibly serious’ questions over CV, Tory MP demands November 19, 2024 Rachel Reeves must answer “incredibly serious” questions over claims she “misrepresented” her CV, a Tory MP has demanded. Richard Holden wrote to the Chancellor following reports she had exaggerated her professional experience at the Bank of England (BoE) and Halifax Bank of Scotland (HBOS). Reeves told Stylist magazine in 2021 that she spent a decade [...]
Retailers ‘right’ to warn of Budget job cuts, says Bank of England governor November 19, 2024 The governor of the Bank of England, Andrew Bailey, has said a group of retailers were “right” to warn of sweeping job cuts as a result of Labour’s punishing £40bn tax raid at the Budget. A group of Britain’s biggest supermarkets and retail chains, including Tesco, M&S, Boots and B&Q, wrote to the Chancellor Rachel [...]
Reeves has been ‘straight with the public’, No10 insists amid CV row November 18, 2024 Rachel Reeves has been “straight with the public” about Britain’s accounts and “restored financial stability”, No10 has insisted, amid claims the Chancellor exaggerated her CV. Reports emerged this weekend that Reeves had inflated the length of her service at the Bank of England in a Stylist interview in 2021. She told the magazine in 2021 [...]
Lower interest rates not enough to rally consumer confidence November 18, 2024 After a steady climb throughout the year so far, consumer confidence dipped in November amid warnings it could continue to fall into 2025. Overall confidence fell from 47.3 in October to 46.9 in November, according to the S&P Global UK Consumer Sentiment Index (CSI) survey. The neutral mark is 50. Chief business economist at S&P, [...]
UK inflation set to jump above target in headache for Rachel Reeves November 18, 2024 UK inflation is expected to have surged above the Bank of England's two per cent target in October, bolstering a cautious approach to cutting interest rates in the months ahead.
Bank of England boss touts benefits of free trade as Trump tariffs loom November 14, 2024 With protectionism coming back into fashion around the world, Bailey owned up to being an "old-fashioned free trader at heart".