As is usually the case, economists are divided following the Bank of England's decision to hike interest rates by 25 basis points to 0.75 per cent on Thursday.

Britons' obsession with home ownership is somewhat unique, and it is fair to say that many of our friends on the Continent are left perplexed by the importance we attribute to making the step up onto the housing ladder.

Last week, against the backdrop of news that the economy actually grew by more than previously thought in Q1 (0.2 per cent instead of 0.1), coupled with positive figures for retail and construction, a survey from GfK found that the consumer confidence index sunk by two points to -9 last month.

If you're going to take a shine to an awards event, why not do it at the biggest one of them all?

A recent study by Which? (published by Moneywise) has shone a spotlight on the practices of banks and other high-street financial institutions regarding the way savers and borrowers are treated.