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The Bank of England (BoE) has raised interest rates for the first time in three years and warned of another increase to come to combat rising inflation unleashed by the Iran war. Businesses have so far reported in the Bank’s surveys that they have been able to absorb the higher oil and gas prices – by hedging their energy costs, for example – but the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) believes they will soon have to start passing higher prices on to consumers. Despite a rapid fa

The wait is once again over – for 2026, at least. As ever on the afternoon of Budget Day, with the contents of the famous ‘Red Book’ now public, attention turns to the real-world implications of Wednesday’s announcements. The economic and fiscal context is, undoubtedly, challenging, and Chancellor John Healey’s first Budget comes at a pivotal moment for the UK economy. While inflation has fallen significantly from the multi-decade highs seen earlier this decade, growth has be

The government’s budget is not far away now on the 28th October and while early optimism from the new administration centred on delivering growth and stability, attention has increasingly turned to the challenges facing the public finances and the difficult choices that may now be required. Does this sound familiar? Heightened government debt costs have put pressure on our new chancellor and UK growth has been falling, at just the wrong time. The key question is whether John

The Conservative Party's annual conference highlighted a growing sense of purpose as it seeks to rebuild following its significant defeat at the 2024 General Election. Under the leadership of Kemi Badenoch, the party appears increasingly focused on establishing a distinct identity and positioning itself as the principal alternative to both the Labour government and the growing challenge posed by Reform UK. The headline announcement was a commitment to remove inheritance tax o