Central banks could issue state-backed digital currencies, says IMF November 14, 2018 Central banks could issue digital currency, International Monetary Fund (IMF) managing director Christine Lagarde said today. Speaking at an event in Singapore, Lagarde mooted a state-backed digital token, or an account held at the central bank for consumers and firms to use for retail payments. As the demand for cashless payments increases, digital currency could provide security [...]
Inflation remains steady in October as CPI stays flat at 2.4 per cent November 14, 2018 Inflation remained steady in October, with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) flat month on month at 2.4 per cent, according to Office for National Statistics data out today. Rising fuel costs and domestic gas prices offset lower prices for food and non-alcoholic drinks, as well as clothing and transport, leading to CPI staying unchanged from its September [...]
Sterling retreats as markets await Theresa May’s crucial Brexit cabinet meeting November 14, 2018 Sterling sunk back below $1.30 early this morning despite the Prime Minister having reached a draft agreement with the EU over Brexit. The pound rose on the announcement late yesterday but fell back to $1.296 this morning as politicians reacted negatively to the deal. The DUP has cast doubt over Theresa May’s proposed agreement, calling it [...]
Move over Facebook and Apple, the next generation of customers has other ideas November 14, 2018 A visit to Rochdale Sixth Form College was a cheering experience last week. This year, 55 per cent of A-levels were at grades A* to B. True, Eton and Winchester do better. But this track record shows that even poor boroughs – and Rochdale is one of the poorest – have the capacity to deliver high-quality [...]
Italy rejects EU calls to amend budget ahead of deadline November 13, 2018 Italy defied a European Commission deadline to submit a revised budget tonight, telling the EU it will not change its expansive fiscal plans. Ahead of a midnight deadline, the Italian government said it was sticking to its guns. In a statement released after a cabinet meeting, deputy prime minister Matteo Salvini said its deficit target [...]
Oil prices continue slide as Trump warns Saudi Arabia against production cut November 13, 2018 Oil prices have continued to tumble after US President Donald Trump warned Opec against cutting production. The oil cartel has also cut its world oil demand growth for 2019 due to uncertainties around global economic development. Brent crude continued its slide below $70 per barrel trading at $68.81 this afternoon, almost two per cent down [...]
Trust me, we’ve been thinking about market power and competition all wrong November 13, 2018 Economists, politicians, and commentators on both sides of the Atlantic are growing more concerned with the supposed “monopolisation” of the economy. In a 2017 report, the Social Market Foundation found that eight of 10 key British markets, including in phones, gas and groceries, were highly dominated by small numbers of companies. Its director, James Kirkup, [...]
The US midterms: Good for Democrats, but better for markets November 13, 2018 American politics is in a febrile state. Deep partisan divisions, heightened by Donald Trump’s controversial rhetoric and policies, have resulted in a historic year for midterm voter turn-out. Last Tuesday, voters on the left and right were spurred on by a conviction that the 2018 midterms were more important than any other in history. Politically, [...]
Wage growth hits 10-year high as 132,000 EU workers quit the UK November 13, 2018 Wages grew at their fastest rate in a decade in the latest quarter as the employment rate also rose higher, according to data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) released today. People’s salaries grew by 3.2 per cent excluding bonuses in the three months to the end of September compared to last year, marking the [...]
Is central bank independence even a thing? November 13, 2018 Parents often find it tough to let go of the control they have on their children’s lives, no matter how old they are. While children usually tend to wriggle out of these constraints, the constant jostling between two often opposing opinions is a worldwide phenomenon. And such is the relationship between the government and the [...]