Fenix review: ‘A large, brash cabaret of a thing — good for them'
We're in an odd bit of Manchester just south of the Irwell, near the science museum. Every time I visit this city, it's as if another neighbourhood has sprung up overnight. This one seems halfway sprung, with a still-in-progress air. In a few months the building opposite will be home to Manchester's branch of Soho House, and any number of other glamorous things. Right now, it's a vision of hi-vis jackets.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
43 minutes ago
- The Independent
Interest rate cuts could be coming, signals Bank of England governor
Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey has indicated that interest rates could be cut if the job market weakens. Mr Bailey said that businesses are "adjusting employment" and offering lower pay rises due to Chancellor Rachel Reeves ' increase in national insurance contributions for employers. He believes the British economy is growing below its potential, which could create "slack" to reduce inflation. The Governor expressed confidence that the Bank's base rate, currently 4.25 per cent, is on a "downward" path, with the next review scheduled for 7 August. The government is under pressure to improve living standards, with some Labour figures suggesting a wealth tax, although other tax rises at the autumn budget have not been ruled out.
BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
Liverpool City Council leader's warning over HMOs
Plans to use houses of multiple occupation (HMOs) to tackle homelessness in Liverpool cannot just be rolled out "in the most deprived communities", its council leader has said. Liverpool City Council is looking at a range of measures to address a shortage of temporary accommodation, and tackle the rise in rough aims to secure longer-term temporary accommodation than is offered at present, and ensure that bed and breakfasts and hotels are used as a last resort.A report to be considered by the council's cabinet next week says increased levels of rough sleeping and homelessness are partly due to more no-fault evictions and rising rents. The report says HMOs are one way of giving people somewhere to live in the medium term, and are less costly than hotels and bed and on the Hot Seat phone-in on BBC Radio Merseyside, Robinson admitted that HMOs were controversial in many parts of the city, not least in the Kensington ward which he represents. He said there had been issues with HMOs in the local area for "many years" and restrictions had been introduced to limit planning approval for them in certain parts of added there needed to be "an appropriate spread" of HMOs across the city and that "it cannot be solely in the most deprived communities, because that's not fair".HMOs for people moving on from rough sleeping could be "anywhere in the city, any district, any region". 'Unprecedented' The average number of people seen rough sleeping in the city each night between April and September 2024 was 30, an increase on the average of 22 people seen per night over the same period in Council plans to use a range of temporary accommodation services including HMOs and studio flats to meet the needs of homeless being considered by cabinet next week said the authority will not hold any leases, tenancies or licences of the properties, but it would procure a service providing a minimum number of properties with all property and tenancy related functions delivered by the are currently 1,635 households in temporary accommodation, with around 1,100 in B&Bs or documents said there had been "unprecedented demand on the council's Housing Solutions Service in recent years and an increase in homeless presentations, with the service receiving an increase in requests for help and assistance from those at risk of homelessness". Listen to the best of BBC Radio Merseyside on Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
Pound drops after Bank of England says it could cut interest rates more if jobs market slows
The pound has dropped to a three-week low after the governor of the Bank of England said it could make bigger cuts to interest rates if the job market slows too quickly. Andrew Bailey said 'slack' was opening up in the UK economy, as higher taxes have squeezed employers. He told the Times that 'I really do believe the path is downward' for interest rates. The bank rate stands at 4.25%, after four quarter-point cuts in the last year, and the Bank is next scheduled to make another decision on 7 August. Bailey said: 'If we saw the slack opening up much more quickly, that would lead us to a different conclusion. 'I think the path [for interest rates] is down. I really do believe the path is downward but we continue to use the words 'gradual and careful' because … some people say to me, 'Why are you cutting when inflation's above target?'' Inflation in the UK eased slightly to 3.4% in May, from 3.5% in April, still significantly above the Bank's 2% target. On Monday, the pound slipped 0.2% after Bailey's remarks, down to $1.3467 – the lowest level since 23 June. The head of the central bank noted Rachel Reeves's decision to increase taxes on employers, saying companies were 'adjusting employment and hours and also having pay rises that are possibly less than they would have been if the [national insurance contributions] change hadn't happened'. The chancellor hit businesses with a £25bn rise in employer national insurance contributions, introduced in April, as well as a 6.7% rise in the national living wage. Bailey's suggestion that lower rates and reduced inflation could be on the horizon comes as the government faces pressure to improve living standards. Last week official data showed the economy unexpectedly shrank by 0.1% in May, fuelled by sharp declines in manufacturing and construction. It marked the second month in a row that the economy weakened, after a 0.3% drop in GDP in April. Sign up to Business Today Get set for the working day – we'll point you to all the business news and analysis you need every morning after newsletter promotion Reeves's tax and spending plans have been constrained by borrowing costs and downgraded growth forecasts. The chancellor increased taxes by a historic £40bn in her budget last October, but critics have argued that her strict fiscal rules give her little headroom. Her £10bn margin was poised to be wiped out before the spring statement in March, prompting a scramble for savings that led to the £5bn cuts to disability benefits, which Labour dropped after a backbench revolt. The chancellor is now widely expected to increase taxes in her autumn budget to close the gap created by U-turns on disability benefits and the winter fuel allowance, as well as weak economic forecasts. Bailey's remarks also came as the consultancy KPMG found that hiring by UK businesses dropped by the fastest pace in nearly two years. The Recruitment and Employment Confederation trade body and KPMG said their index of staff availability rose to 66.1 from 63.3 in May, the highest reading since November 2020.
