Manufacturing downturn deepens as firms brace for national insurance rise Economics Activity in the UK’s manufacturing sector fell to its lowest level in nearly a year, a new survey shows, as businesses brace for the impact of the government’s first Budget. According to S&P’s manufacturing purchasing managers’ index (PMI), factory output, new orders and employment, all fell at accelerated rates in December. This pushed the overall [...]
How much will the UK economy grow in 2025? Economics At the beginning of the year, most forecasters expected that the UK would suffer another year of stagnation.
UK economy ‘at risk of stagflation’ as growth stalls under Labour Economics Latest official GDP figures show the UK economy has stopped expanding since Labour took power, creating a headache for Keir Starmer after putting growth at the centre of his government’s mission. The economy unexpectedly shrank by 0.1 per cent in October, according to new data from the Office for National Statistics. It missed economists’ expectations [...]
Business confidence takes ‘decisive turn for the worse’ after Budget, says CBI December 2, 2024 The Confederation for British Industry's (CBI) growth indicator showed that more firms expected activity to fall in the three months to February than to increase.
Meet the Trinidad-born entrepreneur shaking up a UK rum renaissance November 15, 2024 How this entrepreneur plans to introduce authentic Caribbean culture to the UK premium drinks market.
Firms worry about flatlining growth amid Budget tax rises concerns October 30, 2024 Private sector firms expect to see growth flatline in the final months of the year, a survey suggests, as concerns about the Budget build. For the second successive month, the Confederation of British Industry’s (CBI) growth indicator showed that businesses do not expect to see any change in activity over the next quarter. The CBI [...]
UK economy returns to growth ahead of Rachel Reeves’ first Budget October 11, 2024 The UK's longer term growth performance has been disappointing and the new Labour government has pledged that wealth creation will be its "number one priority".
Cosy Club owner Loungers reports strong growth amid new openings October 8, 2024 Cafe and bar operator Loungers has said it delivered “like for like sales growth” of 4.7 per cent, amid a string of new hospitality openings boosting its portfolio. The Cosy Club, Loungers and Brightside chains owner recorded revenue of £178.3m in the half year to 6 October, up by 19.2 per cent on the previous [...]
Growth set to return but fears persist ahead of budget October 7, 2024 City economists expect figures published on Friday to confirm that the UK grew 0.2 per cent in August, having been stagnant for the two months prior.
The big unknown which will determine the short-term future of the economy October 1, 2024 Consumption has taken a much bigger hit in the UK since the pandemic than in either the eurozone or the US.