The call to �bring forward planned capital investment where possible� was the centrepiece of the IMF's annual update on the state of the UK economy, and the culmination of a month-long row between the Chancellor and the Bretton Woods institution.

SSE has warned that consumers should brace themselves for further increases in energy bills, as the London-listed energy group reported a jump in full-year pre-tax profit and bolstered its dividend.

Royal Bank of Scotland and Lloyds Banking Group on Wednesday said they would not need to issue new shares or sell other securities to meet fresh regulatory capital requirements.

As unsettled weather and rising food prices put off shoppers, retail sales volumes including fuel sank 1.3pc month-on-month, confounding economists' forecasts for flat sales.

More than 50 English beaches have met tough new EU standards to receive Blue Flag awards, recognising their high standards and water quality.

Lost tax revenue from money salted away offshore is costing governments more than $150bn (�99bn) a year, Oxfam has found - enough to eliminate extreme poverty across the globe twice over.

Nationwide, Britain's largest building society, today said it had increased lending on mortgages by 17pc to �21.5bn as it announced its full-year results.

A poll of 404 businesses found that growth in output was broadly flat over the three months to May, again disappointing expectations for a more pronounced recovery.

The green deal, the flagship environmental policy of the UK's coalition government intended to make the country's homes more energy efficient, has received a fresh blow after an influential committee of MPs blasted the government on Wednesday morning for ...

The government borrowed slightly less than first thought in the 2012-13 financial year, the latest official figures suggest. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the government borrowed �119.5bn last year - down from the initial estimate of �120.6bn.