economy
Britain's £1 Billion Innovation Plan Will Be Judged by Where Companies Scale
A four-year UKRI cluster commitment and new mayoral R&D powers move decisions closer to regions. The harder test is whether discoveries become durable businesses.
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Economy
Macroeconomic analysis for the UK — Bank Rate, inflation and growth — translated into what it actually changes for founders, executives and investors.
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economy
UK Economy Grows 0.4% in July as AI-Linked Programming Helps Lift Output
UK GDP grew 0.4% in July 2026 and 1.6% year on year. We examine the role of computer programming, AI activity and what it means before the October budget.
economy
TerraPower Targets 2034 for First UK Natrium Reactor: What Has to Happen First
TerraPower is targeting 2034 for its first UK Natrium nuclear reactor. We explain capacity, cost claims, regulation, fuel and the milestones still required.
economy
UK Economy by Region: London, the South East, Midlands, North, Scotland and Wales
A permanent guide to the UK's regional economies, major industries and business centres, connecting London with the Midlands, North, Scotland, Wales and other regional markets.
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economy
Energy Prices Are Now a Concern for 72% of UK Businesses. The Sector Split Matters
An ONS survey finds record concern about energy and fuel prices. Hospitality and transport face different cost pressures, while supply-chain risks are spreading.
economy
Britain's Services Recovery Is Passing Its Costs to Customers
Activity expanded in September, but firms raised prices at the fastest pace since May. The recovery is becoming harder for the Bank of England to treat as disinflationary.
economy
UK Business Confidence Has Lost Its Summer Cushion
The Lloyds Business Barometer fell 12 points to 41% in September, its weakest since April 2025. Energy costs explain the shock, but the fall in firms' own trading outlook shows that demand risk is moving inside the business plan.
economy
Britain's New First-Buyer Loan Risks Solving Demand Before Supply
Your First Home would pair a 2.5% deposit with a government equity loan of up to 20% on new builds. The design can widen access, but without faster supply it may transfer public support into land and developer prices.
economy
Ineos Is Idling Three Hull Plants. Britain's Energy Problem Is Becoming an Industrial Policy Problem
Three large chemical units in Hull are being idled as high gas costs squeeze European production.
economy
Britain's September PMI Has a Stagflation Warning Hidden Inside It
Private-sector growth has slowed while service companies are raising prices more quickly, leaving the government and Bank of England with less room than the headline expansion suggests.
economy
UK-Israel Trade Is Holding Up as the Political Relationship Gets Harder
UK-Israel trade reached £6.0bn in 2025 as services exports grew, while settlement-related policy adds a more complex compliance environment.
economy
UK Data Centre Operators: Who Is Building Britain's Digital Infrastructure?
A guide to the operators, hyperscalers and infrastructure companies behind UK data centres, with a focus on London and emerging regional capacity.
economy
UK Construction Has Contracted for 20 Months. Housebuilding Is Now the Hardest Part to Ignore
UK construction PMI fell to 44.3 in August 2026, its 20th month below 50, while housebuilding dropped to 37.6. What the downturn means for business.
economy
UK GDP Grew 0.4% in Q2 2026: What Drove the Expansion
UK GDP grew 0.4% in Q2 2026. ONS data show services, household spending and investment drove growth while production was flat.
economy
UK Inflation’s Return to 2.9% Makes the Next Bank of England Move Harder to Call
UK CPI inflation rose to 2.9% in July 2026, complicating the Bank of England outlook even as services inflation eased to 3.4%.
economy
Britain May Be Emerging From Its Productivity Slump, and AI Is Only Part of the Story
New payroll-based estimates suggest UK productivity has grown around 1.1% a year since late 2024, with gains broader than AI alone.
economy
Britain's £1.8bn July Deficit Leaves the Autumn Budget With Less Room for Error
The UK unexpectedly borrowed £1.8bn in July, while public debt remained close to £3tn ahead of the government's October Budget.
economy
UK Retail Sales Slip in July, but the Three-Month Trend Still Looks Healthy
UK retail sales fell 0.5% in July after a World Cup and weather-led June surge, but the broader three-month trend remained positive.
economy
UK Business Investment Is Moving Again, and Hardware Is Leading
UK business investment rose 1.7% in Q2 2026, with ICT, machinery and hardware helping drive a broader recovery in capital spending.
economy
Bank of England Rate Decisions and Their Ripple Effect on UK Tech Funding
The Bank of England has held rates at 3.75% since December 2025. Here's how that's shaping venture funding conditions for UK tech companies.
economy
Britain's Industrial Strategy Is Moving From Policy Paper to Investment Test
One year into Britain's industrial strategy, the focus is shifting from policy commitments to whether high-growth sectors can attract sustained investment.
economy
UK GDP Grew 0.6% in Q1, but Household Income Data Make the Recovery Look Less Comfortable
UK GDP grew 0.6% in Q1 2026, but real household disposable income per head fell 0.8%, complicating the consumer outlook.
economy
Bank of England Holds at 3.75% as Two Policymakers Push for a Rate Hike
The Bank of England held rates at 3.75% in June, but two policymakers voted for a hike as energy risks complicate the UK outlook.
economy
The UK's 10 Largest Export Markets
The UK's largest export markets by goods and services value, using 2025 ONS trade data published by the Department for Business and Trade.
economy
UK Economy Contracts 0.1% in April, but the Tech Sector Keeps Growing
UK GDP fell 0.1% in April 2026, but technology and information services continued to expand as the wider economy lost momentum.
economy
What Does the UK Export Most? Britain's Biggest Goods Exports
The UK's biggest goods exports in 2025, led by mechanical power generators, pharmaceuticals and cars.
economy
The UK's Largest Industries by Number of Jobs
The largest UK industries by workforce jobs using ONS March 2026 data, led by health and social work, retail and professional services.