UK economy’s fourth quarter contraction confirmed
George Osborne has shown a great deal of determination in his efforts to tackle the fiscal deficit; it is now time for him to show the same determination in promoting output and employment growth.
economy
Buoyant tax revenues give Osborne room to manoeuvre
The UK’s public finances were in much better shape in January than expected. There was a current budget surplus of £8.5bn and public sector net borrowing was -£3.7bn.
Retail sales provide some economic optimism – for now
If today’s retail sales data is a true indication of the underlying trend in retail sales, then the economy is in better shape than many of the pessimists have feared.
Britain’s economy falls further behind G7
Britain is being left behind. With growth projections down, unemployment up, and consumer confidence down, the UK economy contrasts sharply with news around the world.
Time to think again about the way we measure inflation?
As was widely expected, annual inflation increased again last month; there is, however, a big question over how accurately these figures capture the extent of the price increases in different households.
Wolf savages government’s approach to growth
While praising the government’s decision to eliminate a fixed age of retirement, Martin Wolf is scathing on other aspects of the government’s growth strategy.
Rebalancing the economy: there is still a lot of work to be done
Today’s UK trade figures highlight the scale of the task facing the government if it is to achieve its aim of rebalancing the economy, writes Tony Dolphin.
Osborne’s bank levy: The desperate action of a desperate chancellor
George Osborne thought his failure to secure any agreement on bank bonuses and lending plus his cynical ruse to give banks a massive corporation tax cut had been missed.
Balls and Osborne clash in first Commons duel
Ed Balls and George Osborne went head-to-head across the despatch box at Treasury Questions for the first time today, reports Shamik Das.
Considering income alone is never enough when looking at living standards
As is often the case, one fails to really get to grips with the impact of changes on living standards if one doesn’t fairly compare households of different sizes.