Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey has warned that reviving Britain’s faltering economy must become a central priority for the incoming Government, as businesses contend with sluggish demand, rising energy costs and renewed inflationary pressure. Appearing before MPs on the Treasury Committee, Bailey said the UK’s fundamental economic challenge was its persistent lack of growth, describing the problem as a structural weakness that had developed over almost two decades. “T

Speculation over a fresh round of consolidation in the UK grocery market is gathering pace as the widening gap between the sector’s strongest and weaker-performing operators raises questions about its future shape. Retail Week has highlighted Asda and Morrisons as the businesses most likely to feature in any renewed debate over mergers, acquisitions or strategic partnerships, although there is currently no suggestion that formal talks are taking place. The discussion comes as

Labour is being urged to place farming and rural businesses at the heart of its economic plans, after new research suggested that closing England’s rural productivity gap could generate an additional £22.5 billion in economic output. The report, The Future of the Rural Economy, was produced by the Labour Rural Research Group in partnership with the Country Land and Business Association (CLA). It argues that rural communities are too often treated as peripheral, despite their