Economics

Historian Rutger Bregman visited Davos and did not hold back on his thoughts about the super rich. He called out 'stupid philanthropy schemes' Bregman said that the real issue that needs tackling to make a fairer playing field is tax avoidance. He said: 'We can invite Bono once more but come on we've got to be talking about taxes ... all the rest is bullshit in my opinion,' he says. Bregaman said he feels like he’s ‘at a firefighters conference...

The reality of Brexit uncertainty is starting to bite, experts have said after the number of personal insolvencies hit its highest level since 2011. Insolvency Service figures showed 115,299 people became insolvent in England and Wales last year, 20 per cent up on 2017. The number of companies going under also reached a five-year high in 2018. There were 17,439 company insolvencies last year — the highest since 2013 — driven by a big jump in numbers of builders and retailers...

Researchers say that many more people may die over the next decade if Britain presses ahead with Brexit because the UK is "heavily dependent" on fruit and veg imports

Facebook execs today unveiled plans to integrate the messaging element of Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram in a move set to bolster the group’s dominance of social media. This will mean that Facebook users for example, will be able to message a WhatsApp user making the ecosystem the social media giant is creating even more seamless. Merging communication between the apps is set to occur by the end of this year or early 2020 and will pit the reach of the...

Political uncertainty, the fall in the value of the pound and the crisis on the high street have all taken a toll on Europe's biggest toy market

As the possibility of a No deal Brexit continues the impact of this potential scenario is being calculated. The CBI (Confederation of Business Industry) have illustrated the long-term economic decline the North East would disproportionally suffer under a No Deal situation, compared to the rest of the UK. The study has calculated that the annual loss of output in this region would be worth £7billion by 2034, in an area of the country that is already one of the poorest...

The price of chips could soar as Brexit and Russian Crimean tensions have left a shortage of potato pickers in Jersey, farmers say. Other factors including an improving economy in Poland and a pound that has been weakening since 2016’s EU referendum have also led to a lack of migrant workers on the island - the home of the Royal potato. Traditionally farms have relied on seasonal potato pickers from the EU, but Brexit uncertainties have made it far harder...

Banks and financial institutions have shifted at least $1 trillion worth of assets out of the UK and into the European Union because of Brexit, EY have claimed in a report published this week. Many banks have set up new offices in Europe to safeguard their regional operations, which means they have moved substantial assets over to satisfy EU regulators. Other firms are moving assets to protect clients against market volatility and sudden changes in regulation. In total at least £800 billion...

The Nationwide building society has reported that compared with a year earlier there was a house price rise of only 0.5 per cent in December, the lowest level since February 2013. The lender believes that uncertainty over the economic outlook is hampering confidence in the housing market. London and surrounding areas saw a small fall in house prices in 2018. The average house price in the UK in December 2018 was £212,281 compared to £211,156 in December 2017. Northern Ireland...