British inflation unexpectedly rose to a six-month high in January, pushed up by higher petrol prices and a smaller-than-usual drop in airfares.

The number of people in work in Britain jumped again at the end of last year, underscoring how the labour market defied the broader economic slowdown in the run-up to December’s UK election.

Brexit and the global trade wars continue to pile on the pressure as Irish factories cut their output in September for the fourth month in a row and halted recruitment of new staff.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has confirmed that the UK economy slid into decline in the second quarter of 2019, in the latest update of its figures.

Sterling skidded again yesterday, almost equalling a 10-year low against the euro, after an unexpected second quarter contraction in the UK economy alarmed investors already fretting that the UK is headed for a no-deal Brexit.

Britain posted a larger-than-expected budget deficit last month as government spending rose, a reminder that the country’s next finance minister may have limited options to cushion any Brexit blow to the economy.

British workers’ pay grew at its joint fastest pace in over a decade as employers extended their hiring spree, adding to signs that uncertainty about Brexit is prompting firms to take on workers rather than commit to longer-term investments.

UK workers’ pay growth has slowed to its weakest rate in six months, despite record employment, adding to the Bank of England’s dilemma of whether to raise interest rates for only the second time since the global financial crisis.

Donald Trump has controversially linked an increase in recorded crime with the "spread of radical Islamic terror" in the UK.

British consumers are vulnerable to a hike in interest rates, ratings agency Moody’s has said, two weeks before the Bank of England is widely expected to hike borrowing costs for the first time in more than a decade.

Britain’s economy grew at its slowest pace since 2013 in the 12 months after last year’s Brexit vote, data showed yesterday, painting a subdued picture as the Bank of England prepares to raise interest rates for the first time in a decade.

The pound was heading towards 15-month highs against the US dollar following stronger than expected UK retail sales data.

Britain’s Brexit-bound economy is showing little sign that its leaden performance in the first half of 2017 is improving, despite hints of better times for manufacturers.

British consumer morale improved slightly in August but remained subdued overall as households became gloomier about their finances, a survey showed yesterday.

British retail sales growth slowed in August at the fastest pace in more than a year as the squeeze on consumers from rising prices continued.

The UK has set out proposals to ensure that goods and services currently approved for sale across the UK and EU can continue to be traded after Brexit.

Ireland is now the fourth most confident country in Europe with consumer sentiment here higher than in the UK for the first time in nearly nine years, according to market research firm Nielsen.

Consumer borrowing eased back last month as inflation's upward march forced UK shoppers to rein in their spending, according to new figures.

British workers’ earnings after inflation contracted at the fastest pace since 2014 in the three months to April, underscoring the growing Brexit squeeze facing many households, newly-published official data shows.

British inflation unexpectedly jumped to its highest level in nearly four years in May, tightening the squeeze on UK consumers, who face the added worry of political uncertainty after last week’s inconclusive election.

The Brexit squeeze on British consumers has hurt the UK government’s finances as well as retailers, new figures show, indicating that the economic slowdown at the start of the year is now being felt more broadly.

The FTSE 100 Index has closed above 7,500 for the first time as higher-than-forecast inflation data and confidence over Britain's prospects under a Tory government drove stocks higher.

Growth in the UK economy will slow as the delayed effects of Brexit hit British consumers hard, Goodbody Stockbrokers chief economist Dermot O’Leary has warned.

Inflation almost completely gnawed away the growth in pay of British workers during the three months to February, the clearest evidence yet that households are feeling the strain of rising prices as Brexit negotiations begin.

Signs that Britain’s economy is slowing as it prepares to leave the EU hardened yesterday, as official data showed a surprise drop in industrial output and construction in February, and a mixed performance for trade.

The head of a British parliamentary committee has asked a regulator to look into media reports, including one by Reuters, about movements in financial markets ahead of economic data releases that raised the possibility of leaks.

Sterling has had its longest losing streak against the euro since August amid evidence that the UK’s decision to leave the EU is starting to hit economic data just as European policymakers strike a more positive note on the eurozone’s prospects.

Britain’s economy likely expanded by 0.7% in the three months to January, quickening slightly from the fourth quarter, the UK’s National Institute of Economic and Social Research said yesterday.

British retail sales recorded their strongest quarter of growth since late 2014 in the three months to September.

Output in Britain's manufacturing sector reached its highest level for more than two years as the industry continued to bounce back from a post-Brexit vote slump.

Children who are heavy users of social media are unhappier about their appearance than those who never use sites such as Facebook and Twitter, according to a leading study supported by the British Government.

Irish construction output grew by 16.5%, year-on-year, in volume terms during the second quarter of the year, according to fresh CSO data published yesterday.

‘More than 50 MPs’ ready to act against leader in rift over Europe

The probability of the UK voting next month to exit the EU fell yesterday, as an opinion poll suggested the ‘remain’ side had increased its small lead.

The British construction sector declined sharply in the first quarter of 2016, adding to signs that the economy struggled against global weakness and uncertainty about June’s European Union referendum, data showed yesterday.

RUSSIA: Russian transport police say a 10-year-old girl flew from Moscow to St Petersburg without identification or a ticket.

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Women in the UK are likely to earn £300,000 less than male colleagues over their lifetimes as the gender pay gap continues to widen, according to analysis.