The medium- to long-term outlook for the UK economy does not look favourable. To be clear, we do not believe the UK economy is approaching a cliff edge, Next's half-year earnings report said. At best we expect anaemic growth, with progress constrained by four factors: declining job opportunities; new regulation that erodes competitiveness;, government spending commitments that are beyond its means; and a rising tax burden that undermines national productivity.
Microsoft says its new $30bn (22bn) investment in the UK's AI sector its largest outside of the US - should significantly boost Britain's economy in the next few years. Its package forms a major part of a $31billion agreement made between the UK government and various other US tech giants, including Nvidia and Google, to invest in British-based infrastructure to support AI technology, largely in the form of data centres. Microsoft will also now be involved in the creation of a powerful new supercomputer in Loughton, Essex.
Google has unveiled plans to invest an additional £5 billion in the UK over the next two years, in a move it says will help expand the country's artificial intelligence economy, create thousands of jobs and accelerate breakthroughs in science and technology. The announcement coincides with the state visit of US President Donald Trump, during which major technology and energy deals are expected to dominate the agenda. The investment will include significant spending on Google's infrastructure, research and engineering teams, as well as support for Google DeepMind, its London-based AI arm. The company said the expansion would generate 8,250 " new AI-driven jobs " in Britain.
Speaking to TalkTV's Plank Of The Week, Mark Wogan said: "It's interesting how you say [Labour chancellor] Rachel Reeves is killing the housing market - she's killed it already. "You'd think someone would come round, even just out of interest. But no one's come to see it. No one, not one single person. That's how dead the market is."
TikTok's operations in the United Kingdom, Europe, and Latin America more than doubled revenues since 2022, when the company brought in $2.6 billion, according to filings submitted to Companies House, the U.K's corporate registry.
The Autonomy Institute thinktank warned that climate-induced price increases for everyday food items could push almost 1 million people into poverty without urgent government intervention.
The world’s most important financial watchdog has warned that Chancellor Rachel Reeves will likely break a key party manifesto pledge by hiking taxes or cutting public services.
Am I surprised to see inflation coming through? Of course not. You can't increase the cost of labour in food production, food distribution and food retailing in the way that we have... and not expect to see prices move.
The modest rise in unemployment reflects a slowdown in recruitment activity, with businesses cautious about hiring due to increased business costs, weak economic growth forecasts, elevated borrowing costs, and ongoing uncertainty in global markets.
Businesses large and small, across the UK, will be listening hard to the Chancellor's speech - to see if it can truly spark much needed investment reform.
The UK seems to have made it the hardest of anywhere to build mobile infrastructure. Unless we remove unnecessary roadblocks and make more spectrum available, we risk missing out on a once-in-a-generation opportunity to boost growth.
The closure of 3,700 bank branches in England from 2016 to 2024, averaging eight weekly closures, demonstrates a shift towards digital financial solutions.
