Were MPs right to cap the benefits rise at 1 per cent? January 8, 2013 Yes Ryan Bourne THE government is struggling to control borrowing and this is partly due to a 5.9 per cent increase in net social security payments this financial year compared with last. Many benefits were uprated by 5.2 per cent for 2012-13 because of high consumer price index inflation in the previous year, when average [...]
Rapid responses January 8, 2013 Planning inflation [Re: Daft planning rules are pushing up the price of food in shops, yesterday] While it is always good for an article about planning policy to focus on commercial property rather than housing, and while the academics cited may have delivered interesting papers, let’s not use this work to justify more fiddling with [...]
Fundamentally weak economy to punish pound January 8, 2013 LAST year was great for the sterling bulls. The currency appreciated against the dollar and yen, and edged the euro. But sterling’s gains were driven by weakness in other economies – not by any strength in Britain’s own economic fundamentals. As global headwinds begin to calm, attention has been focusing on the vulnerable pound. In [...]
The XFR is a truly astonishing beast January 8, 2013 WHEN Jaguar Cars came up with the inspired tagline “Grace, space and pace” in the 1960s, they set up their stall as a brand that considered overt displays of power somewhat vulgar. Even this XFR model, despite its capacity to boost you up to speeds that will make your hair stand on end, looks more [...]
Rafa delights in selection headache for semi-final tie January 8, 2013 CHELSEA manager Rafael Benitez insists he is happy to finally have a dilemma over who to play at centre-forward as he contemplates taking a major step towards his first silverware at the club. Benitez must decide whether to recall £50m record signing Fernando Torres for tonight’s Capital One Cup semi-final first leg at home to [...]
Pride wounded as England eye series response January 8, 2013 ENGLAND must drastically improve to emulate their triumphant Test colleagues in the first one-day international against India on Friday, says bowler James Tredwell. The tourists completed a first Test series victory in India for 27 years last month but England head into the five-match ODI series after back-to-back defeats, including the six-wicket loss to Delhi [...]
Bradford perform more heroics to edge closer to Wembley date January 8, 2013 BRADFORD CITY 3 vs ASTON VILLA 1 DELIGHTED Bradford manager Phil Parkinson lauded his serial giant-killers last night after they took a huge step towards becoming the first fourth-tier team to reach the League Cup final for more than half a century. The League Two club swept aside their Premier League opponents, who sit 60 [...]
It’s time for Finn to step up and lead attack January 8, 2013 DEFEAT in the two warm-up matches before England’s one-day series in India will merely have underlined the scale of the task facing Ashley Giles, who has just taken charge of the ODI and Twenty20 teams. Giles has a job transforming the one-day side in the long-term, but more pressingly in India, where England’s struggles are [...]
Barca rule out selling Villa until summer January 8, 2013 BARCELONA striker David Villa will not be moving to the Premier League this month, according to club president Sandro Rosell. Spain international Villa, who has been struggling to hold down a place in the Catalan side’s starting line-up this season, had been heavily linked with Arsenal this week, with Chelsea and Manchester City also thought [...]
QPR put brakes on Nelsen MLS coaching move January 8, 2013 QUEENS Park Rangers manager Harry Redknapp hopes to delay Ryan Nelsen’s departure to Major League Soccer club Toronto FC so that he can face Tottenham on Saturday. The defender is leaving the Premier League strugglers to manage in the MLS having finalised a deal in Canada yesterday. Nelsen is under contract at Loftus Road until [...]
