News

Just when we thought UK inflation was steadily on its way down, and the retreat becoming a central support of the government’s pre-election road to rehabilitation, then comes the first disappointing figure for ages: a rise from 3.9% to 4.0% between November and...

Britain’s local councils are not the only institutions heading for a financial iceberg. A number of the nation’s universities may also sink this year, saddled with debt and competing unrealistically for bright students. There are somewhere between 130 and 166...

In the months ahead UK politics will be dominated by relentless speculation as to the date of the forthcoming General Election. The quaint - or even 'working' - assumption underpinning such feverish chatter is that a sitting Prime Minister has absolute control over...

Incoming emails this week as we drift back to work provide a clear reminder that the high street has moved firmly online. The huge volume of messages from what are now web-first retailers seem to eclipse anything relating to work, promising big reductions, free...

Dear friends and colleagues, Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year from all of us at Buchler Phillips. This year we were very proud to celebrate 35 years of Buchler Phillips. We are privileged to have been involved in some of the most complex and fascinating...

Positive vibes, as we look ahead to our own business prospects after a possibly tough year, are a great feeling. They promote energy and, to a certain extent, can help fulfil our hopes of generating new revenue to lift our businesses out of the danger zone. If they...

The UK’s construction industry has been at or near the top of insolvency statistics in 2023. The sector has seen record levels of businesses folding – more than 4,000 in Q3 2023, or 18% of all cases in an identifiable industry - amid surging inflation and a 15-year...

In case anyone needed confirmation that the Insolvency Service is stepping up action against businesses which have abused the government’s Bounce Back Loan (BBL) Scheme, look no further than the 20  month custodial sentence (suspended for two years) meted out in...

Britain’s local councils are going bust – or getting close to it – left, right and centre. Literally, since the parlous state of local government finances is being revealed almost daily in councils controlled by all three major political parties. Early examples of...

The sands of time are fast draining away towards the date of the next General Election. Arguably only this Autumn Statement and the Budget next March provide a beleaguered government with set-piece economic events that have the potential to change the political...

Two cheers would be a stretch, let alone three. Core inflation remains hard to shift, meaning UK interest rate cuts are some way off. The only surprise in October’s fall in the Consumer Prices Index was the size of the decline from 6.7% to 4.6%. It was always going to...

Soaring interest rates and stubborn inflation forced 2,315 businesses into insolvency in October 2023, up 18% on the same month last year and above pandemic levels. The vast majority (82%) were Creditors Voluntary Liquidations (CVLs) – directors throwing in the towel ...