
Inflation set to slow down following April's bill hikes
The Consumer Prices Index (CPI) Inflation rate in the UK is expected to drop to 3.3% in May, down from 3.5% in April, according to a consensus of analysts.
April's CPI rate should have been 3.4% instead of 3.5% due to an error in vehicle tax data, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), but the official figure was not revised.
Economists predict that price rises stabilised in May after household bills increased in April due to a rise in the energy price cap and other charges.
Sanjay Raja from Deutsche Bank anticipates a decrease in transport service Inflation in May, particularly in airfares and package holiday prices, following Easter holiday increases in April.
Rising oil prices, triggered by recent events such as Israel's attack on Iran's nuclear programme, could potentially increase Inflation in the UK by impacting energy costs.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Sky News
41 minutes ago
- Sky News
Government to announce another delay to HS2
The government will announce another delay to the beleaguered HS2 project on Wednesday, saying the latest target is now impossible. Sky News understands that Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander will announce that the London to Birmingham line will no longer be ready to open by 2033. It is not clear what the new target date will be. Ms Alexander is expected to blame the Tories for a "litany of failure" that drove the costs up by £37bn since 2012, when the high-speed rail network was approved by the coalition government. As first reported by The Telegraph, she is also expected to raise concerns that taxpayers may have been defrauded by subcontractors and pledge that "consequences will be felt". Ms Alexander's announcement will come alongside the findings of two reviews into HS2, looking into what went wrong and how and when to construct the rest of it. She will tell MPs: "Billions of pounds of taxpayers' money has been wasted by constant scope changes, ineffective contracts and bad management. "It's an appalling mess. But it's one we will sort out." HS2 was originally planned to cut journey times and improve connectivity between London and the Midlands and the North. It was given the go-ahead in 2012 with the aim of operating by 2026, but has since been mired in setbacks and spiralling costs. 3:09 The initial plan was to build the first phase connecting London and Birmingham, followed by adding two branches to Manchester and Leeds. However, Boris Johnson scrapped the leg to Leeds in 2021, while Rishi Sunak pulled the plug on the remainder of the second phase to Manchester in 2023 because of spiralling costs. The latest time scales give an opening date of between 2029 and 2033 for the London to Birmingham leg, which is under construction. The most recent cost estimate was £49bn to £56.6bn (in 2019 prices), according to a House of Commons research briefing.


Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Rachel Reeves's policies will see UK economy just 'muddle through' for the next two years, industry group warns
Britain's economy will 'muddle through' this year and next as Rachel Reeves 's tax hikes and Donald Trump 's tariffs hit jobs and investment, the nation's leading business group says. The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has downgraded its forecast for UK growth this year from 1.6 per cent to 1.2 per cent, and from 1.5 per cent to just 1 per cent for 2026. It marks the latest downbeat verdict on Ms Reeves's performance as Chancellor – and undermines Prime Minister Keir Starmer 's claim that Labour has 'fixed the foundations of the economy'. And the report urged the Government to do more to shift Britain out of 'low gear'. CBI principal economist Martin Sartorius said recent rises in employer National Insurance contributions and the national living wage 'have likely contributed to the recent deterioration in firms' hiring and investment plans'. He added: 'These measures are expected to push up prices, reduce margins, weigh on pay growth, and lower business investment and employment growth over our forecast.' Mr Sartorius said the impact of US tariffs may be limited – and mainly come indirectly through 'heightened economic uncertainty, weaker global trade and financial market volatility'. He said this 'underscores the need for UK policy measures that strengthen domestic conditions and help shift the economy out of low gear'. The CBI's forecast for 2025 and 2026 described the pace of growth as 'muddling through'. the nation's leading business group says. It outlined how Ms Reeves's Budget changes, which took effect in April, had 'significantly increased firms' labour costs' – especially in sectors such as hospitality and retail. That will in turn weaken hiring and investment plans, push up prices passed on to consumers and dampen profits as well as wage growth, the forecast suggested. These higher prices will also affect inflation – expected to remain above 3 per cent mainly thanks to higher energy costs and water bills. Consumer spending is forecast to pick up, but will be held back by jobs weakness, with unemployment climbing to 4.8 per cent. But a Treasury spokesman said: 'We're investing in Britain's renewal through our Plan for Change to make working people better off, and the Spending Review set out how we'll deliver jobs and growth.'


The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
Poundland planning to shut 68 stores in major shake-up – with 82 more at risk over coming years
Dozens of high streets face losing their Poundland stores after the discount retailer yesterday announced a major restructuring plan. The firm is seeking court approval to shut 68 shops and secure rent reductions on others — with a further 82 possibly closing in the coming years. 3 It also plans to close its frozen and digital distribution site at Darton, South Yorks, this year and another warehouse at Springvale in Bilston, West Mids, in early 2026. Around 1,000 shop staff and 350 warehouse workers in the UK will be affected by the restructure, but none in Ireland. Last week, Polish owner Pepco Group sold Poundland to US investment firm Gordon Brothers for £1 after a downturn in trading. Bosses said they expect the court proceedings for the restructuring to conclude in late summer. Poundland MD Barry Williams said: 'It's no secret that we have much work to do to get back on track. 'It's sincerely regrettable this plan includes the closure of stores and distribution centres, but it's necessary if we're to achieve our goal of securing the future of thousands of jobs and hundreds of stores.' Poundland could end up with as few as 650 stores in the UK and Ireland. It also plans to stop selling frozen food in its stores and scale back its chilled range. And shoppers will no longer be able to order its products online. Poundland to be sold for JUST £1 as frontrunner for shock takeover is revealed after wave of store closures 'Interest' in sale of TSB 3 The Spanish parent firm of TSB is considering selling the UK high street bank. In a regulatory filing, Banco Sabadell said it received 'preliminary non-binding expressions of interest for the acquisition of the entire share capital of TSB'. TSB has around 175 UK branches and serves five million customers. Sabadell bought it a decade ago for £1.7billion. It comes amid a flurry of interest in our banking sector, with Metro Bank seeing a takeover approach from Pollen Street Capital, while Santander pushed back bids from NatWest and Barclays. EasyJet strike 3 EasyJet cabin crew in Spain are planning a three-day strike over pay from June 25 — just as the summer holiday season begins. More than 650 USO union members based in Alicante, Barcelona, Malaga, and Palma de Mallorca could be involved. They claim cabin crew in Spain earn significantly less than counterparts in other European countries. EasyJet insists it will operate flights normally during the strike. Energy compo Energy firm Utilita must pay £277,000 after failing to issue its Warm Home Discount payments on time, Ofgem said yesterday. The scheme gives low-income consumers an automatic payment of £150 a year. The regulator found Utilita failed to pass on the discount to more than 4,000 customers in 2023 and 2024 due to an 'internal error'. It must now pay £247,000 in compensation on top of £30,000 it stumped up earlier.