A new book about austerity has put Keynesian economists on the defensive April 29, 2019 Notoriously, economists quarrel about almost everything in their subject. But since the publication of John Maynard Keynes’ General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money in 1936, they are supposed to agree on one point: that increases in government spending boost demand and output, and reductions in government spending depress them. Indeed, according to the theory, a [...]
Dark clouds gather as one-sixth of British businesses struggle financially April 29, 2019 Nearly a sixth of British businesses are in financial trouble, amid concerns the UK could suffer a wide-ranging economic slowdown in the coming months, according to research. Read more: Natwest increases small business loan programme amid Brexit uncertainty A report by a leading insolvency firm has revealed there are 484,000 UK firms in “significant financial [...]
US inflation cools in March, adding to pressures on Federal Reserve April 29, 2019 The US inflation rate fell in March, the latest official figures have revealed, in a development that will keep the pressure on the Federal Reserve to hold back from raising interest rates. Read more: Analysts expect outward looking Fed to keep rates on hold The core annual inflation rate fell to 1.6 per cent in [...]
Mnuchin says US-China trade deal could be sealed within two rounds of talks April 29, 2019 US treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin said today that he hopes the United States and China can reach a trade deal using two more rounds of talks. Read more: US trade deficit shrinks as exports to China surge Mnuchin told Fox Business Network that within the next two rounds of discussions it will become clear whether [...]
Climate change protesters to target Bank of England on Thursday with ‘green QE’ demands April 29, 2019 Climate change protesters have announced that they will target the City’s Bank of England on Thursday, with demands that future stimulus bond buying is done with green goals in mind. Read more: Businesses must tackle climate change or 'fail to exist', Carney warns The protests, organised by campaign groups Positive Money and Fossil Free London, will [...]
Economic confidence falls in Eurozone and EU as slowdown drags on April 29, 2019 Confidence in the Eurozone economy fell for the 10th consecutive month in April as managers became markedly more pessimistic about industry as the continent’s slowdown continues. April’s economic sentiment indicator, released by the European Commission, decreased by 1.6 points for the Euro area and 1.5 points in the European Union in April, compared to falls [...]
Missing the opportunity to align ourselves with the US would be a serious mistake April 29, 2019 The UK is the world’s leading exporter of financial services. Within that, there are few better success stories than the special relationship that we have built with the United States. The benefits for both sides are obvious. Every day, a million UK citizens go to work for US firms, while the same number of US [...]
The white paper’s strict salary threshold on EU migrants would only exacerbate inequality April 29, 2019 Britain is on course to leave the European Union by 31 October. However, Theresa May has expressed her wish that the UK should quit well before, provided her withdrawal agreement is passed. Nonetheless, whether we leave with a deal or without one, the government has been clear that ending free movement and bringing down immigration [...]
Gillette proves that cultural relevance is key to a brand’s future performance April 29, 2019 In an age of so much cultural change, it’s vital that brands regularly take stock of their “relevance” in current society. For a 117-year old brand like Gillette, exploring what masculinity actually means in this day and age was essential for its continued existence. Gillette is a brand that used to be only about the [...]
Supporting women entrepreneurs could unlock $330bn worldwide as most female-owned businesses struggle to get credit, group says April 29, 2019 Denying female entrepreneurs access to the funds they need is costing the global economy billions, an international charity said today as it called on financial institutions to improve their products and services for women. Development organisation Care said that 80 per cent of women-owned businesses that need credit are being under-served, opening up a $1.7tn [...]