This is the slowest recovery since the Great Depression
New analysis shows the economy’s struggle to get back to its previous peak, which took place in Q1 2008, will take longer even that the Great Depression.
Will Straw
Will Straw founded Left Foot Forward in 2009 and was its first Editor. Follow him on Twitter.
IMF boss repeats call for Plan B
The IMF’s boss has given her strongest warning yet that Britain should slow the pace of its spending cuts. She called for countries “to adjust their austerity programmes”.
Sun and Mail debt scare story obscures the truth
Will Straw looks at today’s Sun and Mail scare stories about debt – and reveals the truth.
Ex-Cabinet Office chief economist: slower cuts are “common sense”
Think tank boss, Jonathan Portes – who resigned recently as chief economist of the coalition’s cabinet office – says a longer deficit reduction period “is not only feasible, but sensible and prudent”.
Flat taxes do not deliver growth
Guido Fawkes claims flat taxes lead to growth. They do not as data from the IMF shows. Flat tax countries are growing at a slower rate than the rest of the world.
Britain at bottom of growth league table
Britain is growing at the weakest rate of competitor nations. Only Japan in the G7 and Portugal in the EU are growing more slowly.
Fraser Nelson massages new figures to rehash old, discredited argument
Fraser Nelson claims 154% of new jobs over the last year went to foreigners. He is massaging new stats to fit an old and discredited argument.
New IMF boss joins calls for Plan B
The new IMF boss, Christine Lagarde, has joined calls for a Plan B. In an FT op ed she says “slamming on the brakes too quickly will hurt the recovery and worsen job prospects”.
Cameron “ignorant or disingenuous” on frontline police cuts
In the Commons today, David Cameron reiterated his claim that cuts to police budgets would not affect front-line officers. But the facts do not support him.
As Parliament is recalled, MPs must resist the temptation to legislate
Parliament is due to be recalled this week following the riots in London and elsewhere. But the Government must be careful not to rush to legislative solutions.