Exclusive: Support scheme for SMEs post-Covid has hit just 1 per cent of its target March 29, 2022 Rishi Sunak’s scheme to boost the productivity of British small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) post-Covid has hit just one per cent of its target since it was launched last July. The government wants 30,000 businesses to complete the Help To Grow management scheme – which offers subsidised business training – however just 402 SMEs have [...]
Ready to replace Boris: ‘Anxious’ Rishi Sunak fails three times to rule out Tory leadership run March 25, 2022 Chancellor Rishi Sunak failed three times to rule out that he could launch a leadership bid in the future. Speaking to Beth Rigby Interviews on Sky News, the Chancellor was asked whether he would go for the top job if the opportunity arises. He was read a quote from Boris Johnson, who said in 2013 [...]
Rishi Sunak admits Brits face ‘challenging and uncertain’ times after Spring Budget March 24, 2022 Chancellor Rishi Sunak has said the country is facing “challenging and uncertain” times after official forecasters predicted the biggest fall in living standards on record. Following his spring statement on Wednesday, the Chancellor insisted the Government was “on the side of hard-working families”. But Labour said that he had done nothing to tackle the cost-of-living [...]
Poverty looms for 600,000 Brits after Spring Budget as benefits fall behind inflation and tax jumps March 24, 2022 Around 600,000 people will be pulled into poverty, of which around a quarter are children, according to new data shared with Morning Wire this morning. In fact, families in poverty will be £446 per year worse off in 2022-23 compared to if benefits had been uprated in line with current inflation levels. Households in poverty [...]
As it happened: Rishi Sunak’s Spring Budget 2022 March 23, 2022 Live updates and links to all our coverage, reactions and analyses as the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, delivers the government’s Spring Budget for 2022 . Please do get in touch and let us know your opinion via [email protected] or @Cityam With the cost of living crisis, rising inflation, war in Ukraine and [...]
Rishi Sunak’s Spring statement today: From fuel duty cuts to tax and energy bills March 23, 2022 The time has come for the Chancellor to unveil his spring statement, with the spotlight on how he intends to deal with the cost of living crisis. Rishi Sunak is set to vow to “stand by” British families as he is expected to outline further plans to support households facing financial hardship on Wednesday, which [...]
Rishi Sunak needs to tell a story if he wants to keep a hold on the economy March 23, 2022 In an interview with the Sunday Times earlier this month, Gordon Brown gave a quote that was both reflective of his past failings and the challenge that lies ahead for Rishi Sunak. “I’m afraid we didn’t win the argument. You learn as you get older, or at least more experienced, that the facts are not [...]
UK inflation tops 6 per cent as households call on Rishi Sunak for cost of living respite March 23, 2022 The Consumer Prices Index (CPI) measure of inflation marked the largest monthly increase since 2009 last month. According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), CPI rose 0.8 per cent in February 2022 on a monthly basis. This was compared to a rise of just 0.1 per cent in February 2021. CPI rose 6.2 per [...]
UK Government borrowing hits £138.4bn, less than half of amount last year March 22, 2022 Government borrowing stood at £13.1bn in February, down by £2.4bn from the same month a year earlier, according to official figures. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said that despite the fall, this was the second highest February borrowing since monthly records began in 1993 and was still £12.8bn more than in February 2020, before [...]
UK markets: ‘Penny is dropping’ there will be no immediate ceasefire in Ukraine while focus shifts to Sunak’s ‘double whammy’ March 22, 2022 European markets underwent a subdued start to the week yesterday, with the FTSE100 outperforming on the back of another day of advances for crude oil prices, pushing the index to close at its highest level since 28 February. “The main reason for the move higher in oil prices was reports that the EU was considering [...]