2013 will prove the power of global events to shape our economic lives January 1, 2013 IN MARKETS, a trading session can seem like a lifetime. This puts in context the old adage, attributed to Harold Wilson, that a week is a long time in politics. In truth, both activities have become even more frenetic, as events in distant corners of the globe hit trading screens and TVs with sometimes devastating [...]
London must regain its Victorian spirit to capitalise on the triumph of 2012 January 1, 2013 NOW the curtain has closed on a glorious 2012 for London and Britain, the stage is already being prepared for a very different year ahead. We’ll need to build on recent achievements to deliver a tangible legacy for future generations. We must up our game, rather than lower our expectations for 2013. This means focusing [...]
Make 2013 the year for educating your children financially January 1, 2013 CREATING a New Year’s resolution is as much a tradition at this time of year as Auld Lang Syne or fireworks. Whether done in jest, or with serious commitment, setting resolutions can inspire us to be and do better in the year ahead. Unfortunately, waning willpower and seemingly insurmountable ambitions will likely conspire against our [...]
Are there reasons to be optimistic about the British economy over the year ahead? January 1, 2013 YES Anna Leach Last year was a difficult one, but the labour market proved remarkably resilient. Employment levels are back above pre-crisis levels and unemployment has fallen – although considerable slack remains, with wage growth remaining weak. Nonetheless, combined with a relatively stable outlook for inflation and the supportive stance of monetary policy, this should [...]
Rapid responses January 1, 2013 No green shoots [Re: Looking ahead to the 2013 markets] The UK economy will continue to underperform in this new year, skirting an unprecedented triple dip recession. Indeed, the Bank of England predicts that it will take until 2015 for UK GDP to return to its level prior to the 2008 credit crunch – representing [...]
The euro heroically survived 2012 but new dangers await next year December 20, 2012 NO REVIEW of the global economy in 2012 could fail to focus on Europe’s long-running and ever-changing debt crisis. The continent is emerging from its most difficult year since the birth of the euro. It’s in a better shape than many expected, but European policymakers still face formidable challenges in 2013. The year has been [...]
Three messages to warm your spirits during the hectic Christmas period December 20, 2012 AHECTIC round of after-work parties and shopping, interspersed with a few brief moments wondering where the year went. Then a frenzy of unwrapping, a battle in the kitchen with a recalcitrant turkey, the family lunch, a silly game, a surreptitious snooze in the middle of Pirates of the Caribbean. Christmas has its routines, but every [...]
Don’t be a misery: Festive decadence has a fine heritage December 20, 2012 EVERY December, eco-miserabilists and anti-consumerist curmudgeons attack people for indulging in Christmas-time debauchery. Fancying themselves as experts on Christian festivals, these killjoys inform the moronic masses that boozing, overeating and splashing out on pressies is not what Christmas is supposed to be about. Christmas, they declare, is meant to be a time of reflection and [...]
Will 2012 be remembered by the public as a good year for the coalition government? December 20, 2012 YES David Skelton It’s been a tough year for so many people – the cost of living continues to rise and the economy continues to flat-line at best. Given that background, it might seem odd to argue that 2012 has been a good year for the coalition. But it has. Indeed, I would argue that [...]
Rapid responses December 20, 2012 The Russian way [Re: Russian business stereotypes need to be consigned to the distant past, yesterday] For hundreds of years, Russia was part of Europe and the wider international community. Communism was a short diversion and, since 1991, the country’s integration has become more and more obvious. On the one hand, this means the West [...]