News Archive
19/9/2022
Funeral Of The Queen - Times
The funeral is set to take place at 11am on Monday 19 September 2022 at Westminster Abbey, but the day will start long before then. At 6.30am on the day of the funeral, the Queen's lying in state will end, and at 8am the doors of Westminster Abbey will open for the congregation to begin taking their seats.19/9/2022
Rare Good News As The Misery Index Dips - But There's A Long Way To Go
Article by by David Smith, economist. My regular column is available to subscribers on www.thetimes.co.uk This is an excerpt.18/9/2022
DWP State Pension £1,000 Boost For Millions As Inflation Rates Soar
The State Pension is set to hit £200 a week, in line with the rising inflation rates. Millions of people are set for significant cash boost next year as the State Pension rise will come into effect in line with soaring inflation rates.18/9/2022
Liz Truss's Energy Plan Will Disproportionately Benefit The Wealthiest Households
By 2024, support for the wealthiest tenth of households will far exceed the level of support for those living in poverty. Britain's looming living standards catastrophe was the big question hanging - unanswered - over the Conservative Party leadership race this summer, with both candidates refusing to be drawn on how exactly they'd tackle soaring energy bills.18/9/2022
HMRC Releases More Details Making Tax Digital For Income Tax
HMRC has published more details on how Making Tax Digital for Income Tax (MTD for IT) will work for buy-to-let landlords and sole traders with qualifying income over £10,000. The new income tax framework for MTD for IT will be mandatory from 6 April 2024.18/9/2022
Private Renters Have Lost Floor Space Equivalent To The Size Of Nottingham Over The Past 20 Years
Private renters' average floor space per person in England has fallen by 16 per cent over the past 20 years - floorspace collectively equivalent to the size of Nottingham - while rents as a share of income have remained stubbornly high, according to new Resolution Foundation research published on Saturday 17 September 2022. The Foundation's latest Housing Outlook examines the state of the private rental sector amid the cost-of-living crisis, as well as the longer trends that have resulted in too many private rented properties today being high on cost, but low on space.18/9/2022
Biggest Interest Rate Rise For 25 Years Could Spell Showdown At The Bank
This week's decision could pit Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey against an expansionary PM and chancellor. A lightning strike from the Bank of England awaits.18/9/2022
Coronavirus (Covid-19) Infection Survey, UK: 16 September 2022
The following points are for the week ending 5 September 2022 for England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland. The percentage of people testing positive for coronavirus (COVID-19) continued to decrease in England, trends were uncertain in Wales and Northern Ireland, and the percentage increased in Scotland.
18/9/2022
Pound Sterling Dumped Ahead of a Critical Week for the UK, Analysts see Further Losses against Euro and Dollar
The Pound is set to fall further say analysts, although there is a faint prospect the currency finds redemption towards the end of the coming week when a Bank of England rate hike and the 'mini budget' are delivered. The monetary and fiscal double-header comes after the British Pound slid to its lowest level since 1985 against the Dollar on Friday, while plumbing lows not seen since February 2021 against the Euro.18/9/2022
Plans Are Forming For New Nuclear Generation In UK But Won't Happen In Scotland
The Scottish National Party Government Elected In 2007 Had A 'No New Nuclear Power Strategy'. This Position Is At Odds With UK Government Policy Which In January 2008 Announced The Go-ahead For New Nuclear Power Stations To Be Built Across The United Kingdom.18/9/2022
Kwarteng To Announce £30bn Of Tax Cuts In Mini-budget - Reports
Kwasi Kwarteng is preparing to announce £30bn of tax cuts in an effort to ease the pressure of the cost of living crisis and boost economic growth, according to reports. It is thought the chancellor will outline plans to reverse the recent national insurance rise and freeze corporation tax in an emergency mini-budget on Friday.18/9/2022
Scotland's income tax rates are one reason the population is set to fall
No more taxes, Liz Truss promised the Conservative leadership hustings this week to enthusiastic cheers from her supporters and, I suspect, more than a few of Rishi Sunak's backers too. If there is one thing which binds the membership, it's the core belief in keeping taxation down.18/9/2022
Pandemic Failures - By Dr John Campbell
Dr John Campbell talking about The Lancet Commission on lessons for the future from the COVID-19 pandemic. Multiple failures of international cooperation.
17/9/2022
Highland Council Sets Out Proposals To Help Alleviate The Cost-of-living Crisis For Communities
Highland Council is to consider a £3.223m package of proposals to help alleviate the impact of the cost-of-living crisis on Highland residents. In the latest published figures from the Scottish Household Survey Report 2019, 33% of Highland households were in fuel poverty, compared with a Scottish average of 24%, and 22% of Highland households were in extreme fuel poverty compared with a Scottish average of 12%.17/9/2022
The Basics Of Public EV Charging
An article from Applied Leasing about the basics of public charging for electric vehicles. The Basics of Public EV Charging The UK's electric vehicle (EV) charging networks have grown exponentially during the last decade, providing convenient opportunities to ‘refuel' whenever you park up.
17/9/2022
What Do Britain's Tears For Queen Elizabeth Mean?
The BBC reports that "some of the first mourners to see Queen Elizabeth II lying in state in Westminster Hall have come away in tears, describing the sight of the cloaked coffin as overwhelming". What is really going on here? Vast numbers of people do not simply grieve on command.
17/9/2022
The Mile End Road Economists - Time To Reform The Bank Of England Monetary Policy Committee
The Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee has had the power to set the Bank of England's base interest rate and to manage quantitative easing since 1998. These enormous powers are managed by nine people.17/9/2022
How The UK Economy Has Changed In The Past 70 Years (1952-2022)
From the blog of Tejvan Pettinger an interesting article. In 1952 when Queen Elizabeth II came to the throne, the UK was a major economic power, but still reeling from the costs of the Second World War, with rationing and austerity still visible.
17/9/2022
Online Shoppers Spent 9.5% Less This August Than Last Year As Inflation And Energy Bills Hit Home
New Government figures show the amount of goods we bought in August fell by -1.6% compared to July, and an eye-watering -5.4% against August 2021. ParcelHero warns online spending was hit particularly hard - the amount we spent online plummeted -9.5% compared to last year due to the dramatic rise in the cost of living.17/9/2022
