Data released by the UK’s leading business recovery specialists Begbies Traynor has identified an increase of 44% for the 4th quarter of 2017 compared to the previous year. The trend was reflected in Swindon, where amongst the sectors faring worst were construction which saw an increase, Bars and Restaurants increased by 31%, Industrial Transportation and Logistics [...]

Why is the government refusing to publish its “impact assessments” on what Brexit might mean for the UK economy? David Davis insists that the papers will not be published because the government believes they would undermine the negotiations and the national interest. But they could help companies with forward planning for Brexit…….  Some of the [...]

  Today’s preliminary UK GDP estimate from the ONS showed an upward surprise with growth of 0.4% in Q3, beating expectations of 0.3%. Sterling shot upwards above $1.3250 on the news as the pathway for a rate hike at the Bank of England’s November 2nd meeting looks to be a sure thing. The futures implied [...]

Our vote to leave the EU in June 2016 on its own has caused much uncertainty and continues to do so as the negotiations are ongoing, the Conservative government however certainly hasn’t helped the situation with a change of leader soon after the referendum causing yet more uncertainty and concern. Then after the Easter bank [...]

In a move that could be followed by other UK manufactures McLaren shifts supply chain back to the UK. The luxury car company is boosted by the weak pound and focuses on domestic components. When I started my business career on the Birmingham Stock Exchange in the mid-sixties there were many motor component companies in [...]

Banks based in Britain have called for legal clarity over whether contracts that underpin €1.3tn worth of their cross-border financial transactions will continue to be valid after Brexit. UK Finance and the Association for Financial Markets in Europe have issued a joint paper calling for prompt action to ensure that contracts providing cross-border financial services, [...]

The fall in sterling following last year’s EU referendum has failed to boost UK economic growth, the British Chambers of Commerce said on Friday. The business group said there was “no sign on the horizon of a return to healthier levels of growth” as it published its latest quarterly forecasts. The pessimistic outlook stems from [...]

Surprise move as UK urged to recognise intellectual property rights after exit. The EU is demanding Britain legislate to recognise products such as Champagne, Parmesan and Beaufort cheese after Brexit, in a position paper seeking to protect some of Europe’s most sensitive exports in future trade relations. The unexpected request on post-Brexit intellectual property rights, including “geographical [...]

The diverging momentums of the Eurozone and UK economies has provided a remarkably consistent story this year.  Composite PMIs are leading indicators of growth momentum in an economy. As the chart shows, the UK has been falling behind the Eurozone this year. With only a singular exception, the UK composite PMI has lagged behind all [...]

Key points:  Permanent placements and temp billings both rise at marked rates Demand for staff increases at fastest rate since April 2015 Candidate availability declines at quicker pace, pushing pay rates higher Summary: The IHS Markit/REC Report on Jobs – published today – provides the most comprehensive guide to the UK labour market, drawing on [...]