Tag: finance

Stalling economy unlikely to sway the Bank of England

On Thursday (19 December), the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) will reveal its latest interest rate decision. Those of us hoping that the recent bad economic news will prompt another cut are set to be disappointed. Believe it or not, most forecasters still expect Rachel Reeves’ first Budget to boost the economy in … Continue reading Stalling economy unlikely to sway the Bank of England

Is Britain really fated for economic decline?

Another day, another flurry of bad news on the fallout from October’s Budget. The BDO Monthly Business Trends indices - which pull together the results of all the main UK business surveys – show that confidence has fallen to the lowest level in almost two years, with output and employment down, and only inflation up. … Continue reading Is Britain really fated for economic decline?

More pain to come as Budget measures bite

The jump in inflation in October was not a big surprise after the 10% increase in household fuel bills, but the cost-of-living crisis will worsen before it gets better. Most commentators expect the measures in last month’s Budget to add to inflation next year, as businesses pass on the costs of the large increases in … Continue reading More pain to come as Budget measures bite

The Budget has just made the Bank’s job even harder

It is good to start for once with some praise for the Bank of England. After the Halloween Budget in the UK and the fireworks of election night in the US, the Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee helped to calm the nerves by delivering the expected quarter point cut in interest rates (to 4.75pc) on Thursday. … Continue reading The Budget has just made the Bank’s job even harder