A second wave of mortgage rate hikes has pushed borrowing costs higher, ahead of the next Bank Base Rate (BBR) vote, according to Moneyfactscompare.co.uk analysis. A second wave of mortgage rate hikes has been made by the major banks, off the back of higher swap rates, including NatWest, Santander, HSBC, Lloyds Bank and TSB, all for the second time since the start of September.
The European Central Bank has raised interest rates again, and that could be an important warning for Britain. The ECB increased its key deposit rate by 0.25 percentage points to 2.5% last week as inflation across the eurozone moved higher.
A major investigation by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) has shed new light on how China is using one of the world's biggest banks to expand its economic reach around the globe. The investigation, called China Capital, examines the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC), the world's largest bank by assets.
France is building something that might seem like a project from another age: a completely new 107-kilometre canal across northern France. But this is not about pleasure boats or tourism.
Two weeks ago I said this wasn't an oil shock — it was a refining shock. Crude was sitting at ninety dollars and all the damage was happening in refining diesel But, since then there have been developments, Brent oil has closed at $109.
Solar panels are becoming so cheap that they are beginning to change the way ordinary households can think about generating electricity. For years, solar power in Britain generally meant putting several thousand pounds into a professionally installed system on the roof.
UK inflation increased again in August, with the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) rising to 3.1%, according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The increase means inflation is now above the 2% target used by the Bank of England, after CPI inflation rose from 2.9% in July to 3.1% in August.
The global oil market has entered a potentially dangerous phase. The immediate problem is the shutdown of Saudi Arabia's East-West pipeline, a strategically important route designed to allow Saudi crude to reach the Red Sea without passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
Shetland travellers are facing sharply higher air fares just as the global oil market is being hit by one of its most serious supply disruptions in years. Passengers booking flights between Shetland and the Scottish mainland have reportedly seen fares jump substantially, raising questions about whether the latest surge in oil and jet-fuel prices is beginning to filter through to regional air travel.
The latest figures from the Office for National Statistics highlight a growing challenge for governments and public bodies: public-sector employment remains close to record levels at a time when budgets are under increasing pressure to deliver savings. The ONS estimates that 6.21 million people were employed in the UK public sector in June 2026.
The prospect of higher interest rates lasting longer is becoming a growing concern for households and businesses. With inflation still above target, oil prices elevated and financial markets demanding higher returns on government and corporate debt, borrowers should not assume that the era of cheap money is about to return.
Americans are waiting for the Federal Reserve's latest interest-rate decision tonight, with financial markets overwhelmingly expecting the first increase in US interest rates in more than three years. The Fed is widely expected to raise its benchmark rate by 0.25 percentage points, taking the target range from 3.50%-3.75% to 3.75%-4%.
CPI inflation rose to 3.1 per cent in August, up again from 2.9 per cent in July, in line with market expectations, driven largely by higher petrol and diesel prices, the Resolution Foundation said today (Wednesday). With price rises not expected to peak until the winter, the renewed climb has ramifications for families, the Bank of England, and the new Prime Minister’s first Budget.
UK businesses are facing a fresh increase in their costs, with producer price inflation accelerating sharply in August, according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Producer input prices — the cost of materials and fuels bought by UK manufacturers — rose by 6.1% in the year to August, up from a revised 5.8% in July.
The Bank of England faces an increasingly difficult decision tomorrow after UK inflation rose to 3.1% in August, according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics. CPI inflation increased from 2.9% in July to 3.1%, moving further above the Bank's 2% target.
Pay growth in the private sector fell to 2.9 per cent on a cash basis in the three months to July, its joint lowest rate since October 2020, with wages set to shrink significantly in the second half of the year as inflation rises, the Resolution Foundation said yesterday (Tuesday 15 September 2026) in response to the latest ONS statistics. The latest ONS data showed another big gap between the strength of nominal regular pay growth in the public and private sectors – 6.3 and 2.9 per cent respectively, with strong public sector pay growth driven by the timing of NHS pay settlements.
Young people without a university degree are facing increasingly difficult barriers when trying to secure their first job, according to a new report from the Resolution Foundation. The organisation warns that young people qualified to GCSE level or below now face an unemployment rate around three times higher than that of graduates.
The meeting in Cardiff on Monday is more significant than simply a discussion between the three nationalist parties. John Swinney (SNP), Rhun ap Iorwerth (Plaid Cymru) and Michelle O'Neill (Sinn Féin), with Mary Lou McDonald also attending, are using the meeting to argue that Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have a right to determine their own constitutional futures.
Vehicle theft is becoming increasingly sophisticated, with criminals using electronic equipment to exploit weaknesses in modern vehicle security systems. New legislation is now set to give police and the courts additional powers to tackle the people who possess, manufacture, adapt, import or supply electronic devices intended to facilitate vehicle theft.
Interest rate markets are in turmoil. Government bond yields are rising, inflation fears are growing, and financial markets are demanding higher returns.