Business & Economy

Published: 02 January 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online. UK house prices fell sharply in December, according to Nationwide, marking the weakest annual growth in more than eighteen months. The average property value dropped by 0.4% to £271,068 compared with November, confounding City expectations for a modest 0.1% rise. Nationwide noted that the annual increase slowed to just 0.6%, the lowest rate since April 2024. Analysts say...

Published: 02 January 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online. The FTSE 100 hit the 10,000 mark for the first time, reflecting a remarkable year for UK investors. The UK’s leading share index surged past this historic milestone during a late-year rally, demonstrating resilience and renewed confidence in domestic equities. Early Friday trading saw the FTSE 100 reach a peak of 10,046 points before easing slightly, signaling a...

Published: 31 December 2025. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online. Chinese cars are forecast to make up one in every ten new vehicles sold in the UK during 2025, highlighting a rapid rise in market presence. Analysts say the surge in Chinese car sales, including brands like MG, BYD, and Chery, is reshaping the UK automotive landscape. According to Matthias Schmidt, an expert in European electric vehicles, Chinese...

The precious metals market has been rocked by sudden volatility, with gold price silver fall trends alarming investors after silver recorded its steepest decline since the Covid pandemic and gold prices followed sharply lower. Thin trading conditions during the festive period, combined with speculative excess and regulatory tightening, have been blamed for dramatic swings that wiped billions off market values in a matter of hours. Silver prices plunged by around...

Britain has recorded the weakest investment performance among the world’s leading economies, with UK investment G7 Starmer figures showing the country at the bottom of the group, dealing a major blow to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s plans to revive economic growth and restore long-term investor confidence. According to data released by the Office for National Statistics, total investment by government and businesses stood at just 18.6 per cent of...

Published: 30 December 2025. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online. Britain’s business community has received prominent recognition in the New Year Honours List, highlighting leadership during an era of economic disruption and social change. Senior figures from retail, energy, defence, technology, and finance have been acknowledged for their contributions to national resilience, innovation, and public service. At the centre of attention stands Simon Roberts, the chief executive of...

Published: 29 December 2025. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online. The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) has announced it will largely end remote examinations due to escalating concerns over cheating driven by artificial intelligence tools. This shift, effective from March, signals a major change for the world’s largest accounting body, which represents nearly 260,000 professional members and more than half a million students globally. ACCA chief executive...

Published: 29 December 2025. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online. Air passengers across the United Kingdom are being cautioned to expect higher ticket prices as regional airports confront sharply rising tax pressures. A major overhaul of commercial property valuations has placed airports among the hardest-hit sectors, creating financial strain that industry leaders warn will ripple directly through airline costs and consumer fares. While aviation has faced repeated challenges...

Published: 29 December 2025. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online. Britain risks losing a vital piece of its national identity if the ceramics industry collapses. The sector, spanning centuries-old Staffordshire potteries and smaller producers across the UK, faces unprecedented pressures from soaring energy costs, international competition, and long-term underinvestment. Unions and policy thinktanks have called on the government to urgently intervene, warning that inaction could have profound economic...

Published: 24 December 2025. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online. BP has confirmed an agreement to sell a majority stake in Castrol, its lubricants division valued at $10.1bn, to US investment firm Stonepeak. The deal, which will see Stonepeak acquire a 65% stake while BP retains 35% through a joint venture, is scheduled to close by the end of next year. The transaction represents a major step in...