Tuesday newspaper round-up: Interest rates, NHS strikes, rental crisis, Ford, shop prices

The Bank of England is poised to cut interest rates at least twice in 2024, economists polled by The Times have said, as inflation slides to within touching distance of the official 2 per cent target and as economic growth stalls. A majority of the 41 economists who took part in The Times’s seventh annual economists’ survey said that the Bank of England would partly reverse its aggressive tightening of monetary policy amid downtrodden economic growth and weaker price pressures. - The Times

Britain experienced a record number of excess deaths last year amid repeated NHS strikes and the continued cost of the Covid pandemic. Nearly 53,000 more people died in 2023 than normal – the highest figure recorded in a non-pandemic year since the Second World War, Telegraph analysis shows. Doctors went on strike for 38 days last year, and experts fear the disruption contributed to the high number of excess deaths. - Telegraph

More than 70,000 lone-parent households are facing eviction this winter amid warnings that they are “bearing the brunt” of the housing crisis in England, figures reveal. A survey by Shelter has found that one in seven lone parents who rent privately – more than 74,000 people – and their children are facing homelessness within weeks. - Guardian

Months after production of the multi-decade bestselling Ford Fiesta was ended, the American motor group has retaken the top spot in Britain’s car sales league table with its successor model. Despite being about 15 per cent more expensive than the Fiesta, the bulkier Ford Puma is on course to reclaim Ford’s long-held title as the seller of Britain’s favourite car. - The Times

Shop prices continued to rise at 4.3% in December as a price rise on non-food items offset easing costs on food. The increase in the price of goods in stores compared with a year ago was the same rate of inflation as in November and came after several months of easing. Retailers warned that new border checks on EU goods entering the UK, which are due to begin from April, could further push up prices. - Telegraph