Stagnation Britain: Osborne has played his hand extremely badly July 25, 2012 THE statisticians will be arguing about the last quarter’s growth figures for years. Was it really a 0.7 per cent fall in national income, a 0.9 per cent fall or a 0.5 per cent fall? If it were not for the soggy weather and extra Bank Holidays, might we have managed just a 0.2 per [...]
Romney’s trip to Europe draws attention to Obama’s diplomatic blunders July 25, 2012 MITT Romney’s overseas schedule this week is not just about creating the optics of a statesman. In Britain, Poland and Israel, the Republican presidential nominee will seek to showcase what he says is the damage caused by Barack Obama to America’s principles and three of her most important strategic allies. As a marked contrast to [...]
Be mistrustful of the ONS data on economic growth July 25, 2012 BY THE time you read this, I will have been to see a play, The Doctor’s Dilemma. To enter into the atmosphere, I’ll have to embrace a willing suspension of disbelief. Inevitably, the fiction of the play will conflict with the reality of what I know – or, more precisely, of what I think I [...]
As Britain falls further in recession, does the Treasury need a change of direction? July 25, 2012 YES Sam Bowman With yesterday’s news that the economy shrunk by 0.7 per cent in the last quarter, George Osborne’s economic credibility is waning. But not for the reasons produced by Ed Balls. “Austerity” hasn’t failed because it hasn’t been tried. State spending has risen during this Parliament. The chancellor oversold a small cuts package [...]
RAPID RESPONSES July 25, 2012 Green fiasco [Re: UK energy policies are sabotaging industry’s global competitiveness, Tuesday] Tony Lodge gets right to the core of why we can’t climb out of recession. The Climate Change Act, passed as the economy tipped off a cliff, stands as one of the greatest acts of stupidity in living memory. Britain won’t grow if it’s [...]
Here’s what you could have won July 25, 2012 Apple has said the feverish rumour mill surrounding the impending launch of its next iPhone has dented the growth in sales of its current product, with customers holding off for the next generation. So what exactly has got consumers in such a spin? We take a look at some of the gossip surrounding Apple’s next [...]
BLUE SKIPHONE THINKING July 25, 2012 The wearable iPhone This bizarre device is a kind of clip-on iPhone designed by Federico Ciccarese at CiccareseDesign. It looks like it might get a bit uncomfortable after a while but you’re certainly not going to drop it. ciccaresedesign.com The ultra-slim iPhone This beautiful concept by Antonio De Rosa of ADR Studio looks like a [...]
Living the charmed life July 25, 2012 Pandora Union Jack London Bus charm ‰ £40 ‰ pandora.net Pandora British Rose charm ‰ £40 ‰ pandora.net (£6 goes to ABF The Soldiers’ Charity) Pandora Murano glass charm ‰ £40 ‰ pandora.net Links 18ct Rose Gold Thumbprint Star Charm ‰ £310 ‰ linksoflondon.com Old Bond Street W1 charm ‰ £120 ‰ tiffany.co.uk Wimbledon Hat [...]
Bale faces ban over Olympics injury farce July 25, 2012 TOTTENHAM winger Gareth Bale could be suspended from the club’s pre-season friendlies throughout the Olympic Games should the Football Association lodge an official complaint, according to Fifa president Sepp Blatter. Bale was withdrawn from Team GB’s football squad due to injury yet on Tuesday played and scored during Spurs’ friendly against Los Angeles Galaxy, and [...]
BOA uncertain about Idowu’s Games fitness July 25, 2012 UK Athletics head coach Charles van Commenee has admitted “nobody knows” if Phillips Idowu will be fit to participate at London 2012. The triple jumper has this year competed on just three occasions because of myriad injury problems but though the British Olympic Association on Tuesday requested to see Idowu’s medical records, Van Commenee remains uncertain [...]
