Economics

Chancellor George Osborne has announced the 2011 Budget will be held on 23 March.

The FTSE is down over a percentage point in afternoon trading with better-than-expected growth figures failing to lift investors as concerns over the banking sector weigh on sentiment.

Business leaders have issued a fresh warning today about Britain's competitiveness, releasing a survey of leading executives which suggests the country is slipping behind its international rivals.

The FTSE 100 had a slow start to the week, down 0.32% or 18.43 points to 5,684.94, following mixed sessions in Asia and the US.

The leaders of 35 of the UK's biggest companies have expressed their support for the government's plans for spending cuts running into billions of pounds.

Harsh banking regulation will negatively impact the economic recovery and cost upwards of 10 million jobs globally, the world's leading bankers have warned.

The Institute of Directors (IoD) wants a further £50bn in quantitative easing, on top of the £200bn already injected into the economy to boost the money supply.

Schroders' Keith Wade says the US and UK are increasingly likely to see another round of QE, but he questions whether it will bring any immediate boost to the sluggish economies.

Financial regulators have reached a deal to force global banks to double the spare cash they hold in the biggest shake-up since the economic crisis nearly brought down the system.

Michael Hasenstab, Franklin Templeton's co-director of international bonds, is shorting the yen on expectations it will weaken against the US dollar as the Japanese authorities prepare to print money.