Bank of England holds interest rates at 3.75% A split decision by the Bank of England’s nine-member Monetary Policy Committee has held interest rates at 3.75%. The 6-3 decision came in spite of the Office for National Statistics reporting UK inflation accelerating to 3.1% the day before. July’s inflation rate was 2.9%. Rising fuel prices due to…
Chancellor promises to cut red tape and boost growth The Chancellor, John Healey, has given a number of speeches explaining how he intends to boost growth, reduce red tape and maintain fiscal responsibility. Speaking at the Manufacturing Technology Centre in Coventry, the Chancellor promised changes to the judicial review process for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects,…
Bonds, oil and AI Andy Burnham’s first visit to take Prime Minister’s Questions in Parliament came just as the country’s 10-year borrowing costs rose to levels only seen during the credit crisis. Even worse, the yield on a 30-year gilt hit 5.89%, the highest level since 1998. While Mr Burnham sought to reassure political opponents…
Energy prices set to rise Energy regulator Ofgem has announced a 4% increase in the energy price cap for the period covering 1 October to 31 December 2026. This increase reflects higher wholesale gas prices due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, with volatile global gas markets remaining the dominant driver of price changes….
Free ICO training helps SMEs strengthen data protection The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the UK’s data protection regulator, has launched a free online training programme called ‘Data Protection Essentials’, aimed at small and medium-sized organisations and sole traders across the UK. The course is designed to help organisations and their staff understand data protection requirements…
Date of Budget 2026 announced The Chancellor of the Exchequer, John Healey, has announced that Budget 2026 will be presented on 28 October 2026. Announcing the date, the Chancellor said that the Budget will ‘move money and power out of Westminster, and into every postcode around Britain’. He also stressed that the government would continue…
Getting a shareholders’ agreement right A shareholder’s agreement can be one of the most valuable documents a business ever puts in place. It allows a company’s owners to set out, in detail, how they will work together, make decisions, deal with disputes and manage future changes in ownership. When a business starts, everyone is positive…
Andy Burnham’s new government, a balancing act Andy Burnham’s first days as Prime Minister have been marked by a flurry of announcements designed to show that his government intends to move quickly. Presenting himself as a leader focused on easing pressure on households and rebuilding trust in politics, Burnham has begun reshaping government while signalling…
Expansion of SME growth scheme The Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, has announced an expansion of the British Business Bank’s (BBB) Growth Guarantee Scheme (GGS). This provides a 70% government guarantee on commercial loans to SMEs of up to £2 million, cutting credit risk. The changes will enable the scheme to scale up with an additional £2…
What Burnham’s rule could mean for the UK Not yet elected, the new MP for Makerfield, Andy Burnham, is seen as a shoo-in as our new Prime Minister. A politician with the success of growth in Manchester and his ‘man of the people’ persona, he is the very antithesis of Sir Keir Starmer. After months…