UK economic confidence improved a little at the start of the year, but remains lower than many other countries worldwide, according to research from ACCA and the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA)
The UK economic outlook has darkened with risks shifting increasingly to the downside. Importantly, Brexit uncertainty plays an important part in this, but is by no means the only factor, says Chris Williamson, chief business economist at IHS Markit
Ongoing uncertainty about a post-Brexit business landscape is creating a subdued market with less willingness to invest in listed companies with a UK focus, despite the FTSE All Share currently offering a dividend yield of around 4.5%, says Laith Khalaf, senior analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown
Ben Zaranko, research economist at the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), argues that the spiralling costs of health, pensions and long-term care mean that future tax hikes are inevitable
Martin Beck, senior economist at Oxford Economics, considers how a slowdown in US and Chinese economic growth caused by a trade war would affect the UK, and whether the current trade deficit means the domestic market is insulated from the risks
The short-term gains in wage growth may be limited by weak productivity and a low unemployment rate, suggests George Buckley, chief UK economist at Nomura
Raising interest rates amidst a climate of trade wars and stalling global trade is a high risk policy, particularly since the pace of economic growth is set to slow in the second half of 2018, argues Chris Williamson
Martin Beck, senior economist at Oxford Economics, considers the economic impact of a potential change of government, even under the scenario of a Labour-led coalition
David Phillips and Neil Amin-Smith, economists at the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) examine the plans for radical overhaul of the council funding system, the impact of the funding pilot on local authoritiy spending and question whether it is creating fairer distribution of funds for local authorities
The lack of inflationary pressure is something of a puzzle for economists as conventional patterns based on the accepted theory of the Phillips Curve are not playing out as expected, explains George Buckley, chief UK economist at Nomura
The jobs-rich growth pattern is masking underlying risks for higher inflation and longer term issues, warns Chris Williamson, chief economist at Markit
Although the UK’s productivity is showing signs of improvement, over-optimism can lead to errors in forecasts, warns Martin Beck, senior economist at Oxford Economics
Despite a strong stock market, investors are increasingly pessimistic, but is this really just a defence mechanism, asks Laith Khalaf, senior analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown
The downgrade to the growth forecast will hit productivity and keep average earnings at pre-2008 levels, worse than could have been predicted even back in 2010, warns Thomas Pope, research economist at the Institute for Fiscal Studies
