UK stats body to receive £9m to develop ‘super fast’ economic indicators April 12, 2019 The UK’s statistics body will receive a funding boost of £9m to help develop new “super fast” economic indicators to help it more accurately measure Britain’s increasingly complex economy. Read more: UK statistics body to start using new, quicker indicators The money will also allow the Office for National Statistics (ONS) to implement a new [...]
Could Jacob Rees-Mogg soon be off to 11 Downing Street? April 12, 2019 The Conservative party has a shortage of the political equivalent of rock stars. These are the politicians that the public would not merely recognise (already a rather an elite cohort), but actually might cross the road to ask for an autograph – or, more usually these days, a selfie. Boris Johnson has this star quality, of course. [...]
The euro falls as ECB chief Draghi delivers pessimistic verdict on Eurozone economy April 10, 2019 The European Central Bank (ECB) kept up recent tradition today when it announced it would hold interest rates at record low levels and reaffirmed that it will not raise them before the end of 2019. Read more: US threatens tariffs on $11bn of EU goods ECB boss Mario Draghi struck a more pessimistic tone than [...]
Jeremy Corbyn and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez love Modern Monetary Theory, but it is just the magic money tree again April 10, 2019 As the Brexit process unfolds, the possibility of a Corbyn government has become much more tangible. Last month, John McDonnell, the shadow chancellor, wrote to the Treasury to say that in power he would require them to “widen the range of economic theories and approaches in which its officials and those in the rest of [...]
Britain’s economy grows faster than predicted in February April 10, 2019 The UK economy grew by 0.3 per cent in the three months to February, a better-than-expected result as the country counts down to Brexit and faces a weak global economy. Read more: No-deal Brexit could tip UK and EU into recession, IMF says In February Britain’s economy grew by 0.2 per cent, figures released today [...]
No-deal Brexit could tip UK and EU into recession, IMF says April 9, 2019 A no-deal Brexit could see both Britain and the EU slide into a two-year recession in a worst-case scenario, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has said. Read more: IMF director says majority of countries will see growth slow in 2019 The UK economy will grow by less than previously thought even with a deal, the [...]
Airbus claims US trade sanctions on its aircraft are excessive April 9, 2019 Airbus has hit back against a move by the United States to impose trade sanctions on its aircraft which pushed the manufacturers shares down this morning. The US Trade Representative's office has said it is considering slapping tariffs on $11bn (£8.4bn) worth of goods from the European Union, including Airbus planes. Read more: Airbus shares soar [...]
ECB set to remain dovish April 9, 2019 | City Talk The European Central Bank meets on Wednesday this week, not the usual Thursday. Don’t expect any fireworks from this outing for the Governing Council, however. A month ago we got a triple whammy of dovish moves with new stimulus, amended forward guidance and growth and inflation forecasts revised lower. Having already pushed back on rate [...]
The UK’s drug policy is falling behind the rest of the world April 9, 2019 Every year, thousands of people die as a result of drug misuse in the UK. And for over two decades, heroin has been the main culprit. Communities are blighted, families are ripped apart, and vulnerable people are failed by an outdated approach. The situation in Scotland is particularly dire, with a fifth of the UK’s [...]
Government should choose outsourcing contracts based on the quality, not cost April 9, 2019 If and when the Brexit debate ever ends, politicians will return to the challenge of improving domestic politics. And one of the main questions will be the role of private companies in delivering public services. Overall, the government spends almost £300bn per year – or around a third of its total budget – on partnerships [...]