UK economy grows by 0.6%
UK GDP grew by 0.6 per cent in the second quarter of 2013, according to the latest quarterly national accounts from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
Green Politics
Funding for Lending scheme failing as lending falls by £3.8 billion in May
New data published this week shows that banks are still not lending to British businesses, despite the government’s much trumpeted Funding for Lending scheme.
‘The world’s gone mad’ – Institute of Directors on Osborne’s Help to Buy scheme
Yesterday was probably a good day to bury bad news. It was also very probably an opportune moment to promote a bad policy in the hope that it would slip under the radar of those with critical voices.
Ed Balls has made a shrewd move, but Labour must go further
Ed Balls’ latest Guardian article is an interesting one.
Today’s announcement on fracking has tilted the balance further in favour of fossil fuels
Today George Osborne more than halved the amount of tax the UK’s nascent shale gas industry will need to pay, from 62 per cent to 30 per cent.
Confusion reigns over government rent policy for social housing
The chancellor’s recent Spending Review announcement and a subsequent letter from a civil servant to council housing authorities confirm that the government has got itself in a real muddle over policy towards rents in social housing.
Yes, the mega-rich did postpone their bonuses to avoid 50p tax
This month’s labour market statistics continue the same pattern we have seen in recent months: small improvements in overall employment and unemployment but youth unemployment and long-term unemployment not going anywhere much.
Unemployment down 57,000 to 2.51 million
Unemployment decreased by 57,000 between March 2013 and May 2013 to 2.51 million, with the unemployment rate now at 7.8 per cent, today’s labour market statistics reveal.
Vince Cable fails to step up to the mark on beneficial ownership by asking corporate fraudsters to self certify their identities
The following was published by the Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS) this morning.
Graph: Falling pay under the Tories
Figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that the rate of inflation has increased to 2.9 per cent in June, up from 2.7 per cent in May.