UK business & economy

• Bank of England raises interest rates by 0.5 percentage points to 4% 2nd February 2023
  Central bank indicates rates may have peaked and now predicts milder recession than before
• BT chief warns Openreach fibre push will ‘end in tears’ for rivals 2nd February 2023
  Telecoms group’s competitors race to lay fibre networks across UK before incumbent
• Water prosecutions fall in England despite thousands of pollution warnings 2nd February 2023
  Green groups say regulator is failing to hold polluters to account due to years of funding cuts
• Register of UK property held offshore lists 40 owners under sanctions 1st February 2023
  Three Russian businessmen, a string of billionaires and several Tory donors are among beneficial owners, analysis shows
• Leaks pose danger to UK-EU deal on N Ireland trading regime, says Brussels 1st February 2023
  European Commission issues warning as pressure mounts on Rishi Sunak over potential compromise on protocol
• Fears grow over fate of 800 jobs at British Steel 1st February 2023
  Workers told of cuts being considered by owner Jingye despite offer of £300mn government support package
• Britain’s strikers send defiant message to ministers 1st February 2023
  Hundreds of thousands of public sector workers walk out and vow to continue protests until pay demands are met
• NatWest boss refuses to attend parliamentary hearing 1st February 2023
  Alison Rose declines to appear before Treasury committee ahead of bank’s full-year results
• The return of the ‘British disease’ 1st February 2023
  Brexit is one of the factors behind the UK’s economic underperformance
• Is it ever worth parking money in a tax haven? 1st February 2023
  Zahawi affair involves an offshore trust: do they have legitimate uses?