UK Economics Weekly Burnham inherits economic resilience that won’t last The recent resilience of the UK economy is unlikely to last in the second half of the year when the full effects of higher energy prices are felt. Further ahead, Andy Burnham is unlikely to achieve a... 17th July 2026 · 10 mins read
UK Economics Weekly Tentative housing recovery a positive sign for wider economy We still think CPI inflation will rise from 2.8% in May to a peak of around 3.5% in early 2027 and that the resulting drag on real activity has yet to come. But tentative signs of a turnaround in the... 10th July 2026 · 6 mins read
UK Economics Weekly Burnham on the defensive, it’s markets not rules that matter How to achieve the government’s commitment to raise defence spending to 3.5% of GDP by 2035 will be a far bigger problem for prospective PM Burnham than the £4.7bn defence “black hole”. And a bit of... 3rd July 2026 · 4 mins read
UK Economics Weekly Devolution does not guarantee economic growth The political appeal of more devolution is clear, but the economic benefits are not. So should Andy Burnham become Prime Minister and pursue devolution, he may accrue some political points but the UK... 26th June 2026 · 4 mins read
UK Economics Weekly A new PM won’t change the fiscal realities Andy Burnham's decisive Makerfield by-election victory has taken him one step closer to 10 Downing Street, but a change in Prime Minister won't change the fiscal realities. While there may be talk of... 19th June 2026 · 6 mins read
UK Economics Weekly BoE may not follow the crowd, Starmer playing defence An interest rate hold next Thursday looks nailed on and there are good reasons why the Bank of England may not join the central bank hiking club this year. Meanwhile, the political row over defence... 12th June 2026 · 8 mins read
UK Economics Weekly BoE may not follow the ECB The latest evidence appears to support our view that the weakness of the labour market will prevent the second-round inflation effects that the Bank of England fears. If so, then the Bank of England... 5th June 2026 · 6 mins read
UK Economics Weekly Peaks in petrol prices and mortgage rates may be in the past The recent falls in oil prices and swap rates suggest that the peaks in petrol prices and mortgage rates may be behind us. While that doesn't mean inflation won't rise and the economy won't weaken... 29th May 2026 · 4 mins read
UK Economics Weekly Labour market too weak to generate big second-round effects We have been saying for some time that the current economic backdrop is much less conducive to a long-lasting bout of inflation than it was in 2022. This week’s news only adds to that feeling. As a... 22nd May 2026 · 4 mins read
UK Economics Weekly Political uncertainty may stifle economy for rest of the year The way things are going at the moment, it is possible that we won't know whether or not Starmer will be removed as Prime Minister and, if he is, who will replace him until mid-August. And if there is... 15th May 2026 · 10 mins read
UK Economics Weekly Political change won’t alter economic and fiscal constraints Once a fuller picture of the results emerges later today and tomorrow, yesterday’s local elections could be historic as it could bring an end to Starmer’s tenure as Prime Minister and highlight that... 8th May 2026 · 6 mins read
UK Economics Weekly Three key points when swimming in a sea of scenarios Energy prices are currently a bit higher than those incorporated into our baseline scenario and the Bank of England’s scenarios A and B, which increases the chances of the Bank of England raising... 1st May 2026 · 4 mins read
UK Economics Weekly Stagflation shock not as big as businesses fear The net effect of the stream of data released this week will probably lead to some policymakers at the Bank of England worrying more about the upside risks to inflation than the downside risks to... 24th April 2026 · 4 mins read
UK Economics Weekly How serious is the threat of energy shortages? The consequences of the Iran war for the UK economy are more about higher energy prices than energy shortages. That said, 12% of the UK's diesel imports and 63% of its jet fuel imports come from the... 17th April 2026 · 11 mins read
UK Economics Weekly Revising down our baseline UK inflation forecasts This week we have lowered our European natural gas price forecasts in our baseline scenario. As a result, we now expect UK CPI inflation to peak at around 4.0% (4.5% previously) and UK GDP to grow by... 10th April 2026 · 9 mins read
UK Economics Weekly Limited pricing power conducive of short-lived inflation hump The combination of limited corporate pricing power, due to the weak economic backdrop, and the softening labour market supports our view that the inevitable jump in CPI inflation in the coming months... 2nd April 2026 · 6 mins read
