Borrowing costs set to ease further as Bank contends with weaker jobs market August 3, 2025 Borrowing costs are set to ease further as the Bank of England contends with stagnant growth and rising unemployment, experts have predicted. Most economists think the Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) will cut interest rates by 0.25 percentage points to 4% on Thursday. It could release pressure for some mortgage holders amid hopes that cheaper [...]
Guinness sales in focus as Diageo updates market after boss’s exit August 3, 2025 Investors in Diageo will be hoping the continued boom in demand for Guinness will help put the drinks giant back on track following the departure of its boss, and challenging conditions. The FTSE 100 firm, which also makes Johnnie Walker whisky and Gordon’s gin, is among the index’s weaker performers this year, with its share [...]
Government defends Online Safety Act after X claims it threatens free speech August 2, 2025 The Government has defended the Online Safety Act after Elon Musk’s X said the legislation was threatening free speech. In a post titled What Happens When Oversight Becomes Overreach, the platform, formerly known as Twitter, outlined criticism of the act and the “heavy-handed” UK regulators. The Government countered that it is “demonstrably false” that the [...]
Trump removes jobs data official after employment report August 2, 2025 President Donald Trump has removed the head of the agency that produces monthly jobs figures for the US after a report showed hiring slowed in July and was much weaker in May and June than previously reported. Trump, in a post on his social media platform, alleged that the figures were manipulated for political reasons [...]
Physician associates union takes government to court over planned role changes July 27, 2025 A union will take the Government to court over its decision to implement recommended changes to the roles of physician associates (PAs) within the NHS, the United Medical Associate Professionals (UMAPs) has said. It follows findings by a Government-ordered report that PAs have been used as substitutes for doctors despite having significantly less training. The [...]
One in eight high earners with no inheritance ‘trapped by financial outgoings’ July 27, 2025 One in eight (12 per cent) people with a salary over £100,000, but with no parental wealth to fall back on, feel “trapped” by their current financial commitments, a survey has found. More than two-fifths (44 per cent) do not feel that they are able to comfortably meet their financial commitments each month, according to [...]
Shell: FTSE 100 giant in line for profit hit after oil woes July 26, 2025 Shell is expected to report lower profits for recent months as the energy giant continues to battle oil price volatility and strives to return cash to its shareholders. The FTSE 100-listed company is predicted to report adjusted earnings of 3.74 billion US dollars (£2.78 billion) for the second quarter, when it publishes its latest figures [...]
Businesses to pay £1.1bn in new packaging fees to councils July 26, 2025 Councils in England are set to receive a share of £1.1 billion in recycling funding taken from money charged to companies for the packaging they produce. Under the current system, local councils have footed the bill for disposing of items such as milk bottles, cereal boxes and soup tins using taxpayers’ money. But the new [...]
IMF warns UK faces ‘significant challenges’ amid trade war July 25, 2025 The Chancellor could be left at risk of breaking her fiscal rules by unexpected economic shocks and faces “significant challenges” in delivering the government’s agenda, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned. The IMF said the UK’s “limited” so-called headroom on its public finances gave little room to manoeuvre and called on Rachel Reeves to [...]
London Foundation for Banking & Finance appoints new trustees July 23, 2025 The London Foundation for Banking & Finance (LFBF) has appointed three new trustees, drawing from the top ranks of the finance, insurance, and private equity sectors. Stephen Mann, Quentin Nason and Steve Darrington were named as the newest members of the foundation’s board of trustees. Mann, a seasoned insurance executive and former CEO of the [...]
