Bank of England keeps rates on hold at record low
LONDON - The Bank of England kept interest rates at a record low on Thursday as policymakers gave more weight to the risks from low inflation and a weak global economic outlook than to a strong recovery at home.
UK house prices rise at slowest rate in nine months
LONDON - British house price growth slowed again in the three months to November as prices rose by 8.2 percent compared with the same period last year, their smallest increase since February, mortgage lender Halifax said on Thursday.
Veteran financiers line up behind fledgling bank Atom
LONDON - A group of veteran financiers have backed proposed digital bank Atom with 25 million pounds as the lender hopes to join a string of new "challengers" targeting high street customers.
Government to cut stamp duty for nearly all home buyers
LONDON - Chancellor George Osborne said he will cut a tax on nearly all property purchases from midnight, removing a long-standing grievance of home buyers five months before an election.
Government to scrap air travel taxes for children
LONDON - Chancellor George Osborne said he would make it cheaper for families to travel by scrapping an air travel tax charged for children, prompting airlines to call on him to go further and also abolish the levy in its entirety.
Osborne says will miss short-term budget goals
LONDON - Chancellor George Osborne said on Wednesday he would miss his short-term budget deficit targets but could afford tax cuts for most home-buyers, offering some relief to voters from his austerity push before elections.
UK retailers report fall in food prices for first time
LONDON - The British Retail Consortium said food prices dropped last month for the first time since it started collecting data in December 2006, as a supermarket price war intensified.
Government pilots hands-on homebuilding to help ease housing shortage
LONDON - The British government will pay contractors directly to build houses on a former military base in eastern England as it seeks ways to ease a housing shortage that has become a potent political issue.
House price inflation slows to 11-month low
LONDON - The annual rate of increase in British house prices fell to its lowest level in nearly a year this month as the property market continued to lose momentum, figures from mortgage lender Nationwide showed on Friday.
UK consumer morale holds steady in November
LONDON - British consumer morale held steady in November in the face of slipping confidence about the economy's prospects over the next 12 months, a survey by polling company GfK showed on Friday.
Hedge fund Cheyne Capital launches fund to boost British social housing
LONDON - Cheyne Capital has joined forces with investors to launch a fund that will invest in British property for disadvantaged groups, the $6 billion London-based hedge fund firm said on Thursday.
Pension funds take nautical turn in hunt for higher returns
LONDON - Pension funds, squeezed by low interest rates, are exploring investments in shipping in their hunt for higher returns, hoping to benefit once this industry starts to recover from one of its worst ever downturns.
Osborne to extend business lending scheme, restrict to small firms
LONDON - Britain's government will offer banks cheap credit for another year, but only if they use it to support small businesses, Chancellor George Osborne said on Tuesday ahead of a major budget update.
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