UK housing market ‘resilient’ as prices rise 1.1% in February; Greggs warns of rising costs – business live
House prices rose unexpectedly last month, but cautions that “the underlying activity continues to indicate a general downward trend” UK shoppers slash spending as price rises and energy bills bite Greggs has reported that its move to open some bakeries later into the evening is paying off. Greggs extended the opening hours of 500 shops […]
UK house prices rise as mortgage rate cuts lift confidence
Average monthly increase of 1.1% to £285,476 in February, after falls in previous two months, says Halifax UK house prices picked up in February from the previous month as recent reductions in mortgage rates helped to stabilise the market, according to the lender Halifax. The average house price rose 1.1% to £285,476 last month compared […]
UK shoppers slash spending as price rises and energy bills bite
February figures from BRC highlight impact of cost of living crisis on British economy before budget UK consumers sharply cut back their spending in February as soaring living costs damaged household finances, retailers have warned, despite strong sales of jewellery and fragrances for Valentine’s Day. Highlighting the impact of the cost of living crisis on […]
Want to properly plug the UK’s north-south divide? Look to Germany | Larry Elliott
Boosting spending power, increasing public funding for science and tech skills, R&D and infrastructure could work Britain has been struggling to find a solution to its north-south divide since the staple industries of the Industrial Revolution – textiles and coal – started to decline in the early 20th century. It is not a unique problem. […]
Women in UK ‘more likely than men to be on low pay and struggling’
Half a million more women than men are paid below real living wage and 13% are on zero-hours contracts Half a million more working women are paid below the real living wage than their male counterparts, according to data from the Living Wage Foundation. It says women have been harder hit by the cost of […]
Weaker UK economic outlook weighs on housing market; Pret hikes worker salaries – business live
Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial news, as Taylor Wimpey says weaker economic backdrop is hitting the near-term outlook Bank of England boss signals interest rates may have peaked More London-listed companies could choose to follow CRH’s plan and shift their primary stock market listing to New York, predicts Russ Mould, investment director […]
UK government made £2.4bn from mortgage sales – report
The founder of the MoneySavingExpert website is calling on the government to do more to help.
UK government made £2.4bn from ‘mortgage prisoner’ loan sales, says Martin Lewis
Tens of thousands of borrowers had their loans sold on to providers at which they were unable to switch The UK government made a £2.4bn “profit” when it pushed tens of thousands of mortgage borrowers “into poverty” after selling their loans on to new lenders, the campaigner Martin Lewis has claimed. The MoneySavingExpert founder was […]
How rising interest rates sent the UK housing market into reverse
An end to ultra-low rates mean borrowers can only afford smaller mortgages BoE boss says interest rates may have peaked UK house prices fall at fastest annual rate since 2012 Since the turn of the year the news on the economy has been less bad than expected. Growth has been a bit stronger, spending in […]
UK mortgage market contracts for fifth month after Liz Truss mini-budget
Approvals at lowest since 2009 – bar during Covid lockdown – as demand for new homes continues to fall Britain’s mortgage market has contracted for a fifth month in a row, official figures show, as the jump in interest rates that followed Liz Truss’s September 2022 mini-budget continued to trigger a collapse in demand for […]