Ireland
Osborne to help Ireland: a “shining example of long-term economic policymaking”
George Osborne "stands ready" to help Ireland in the midst of economic crisis. It's the least he can do after cheerleading their disastrous economic policies as a "shining example".
A new voice for the Irish in Britain
“If you had the luck of the Irish, you’d wish you were English instead” sang John Lennon – a second generation Irishman. When it comes to the public health of the Irish in Britain, he was right. It is well-established that Irish people have poorer health than the White British population as a whole, including lower life expectancy and a host of limiting long-term illnesses; including the highest cancer rates of any ethnic minority group.
Why do the right continue to support Ireland’s disastrous economic policies?
The British right praised Irish policy before the recession, during the recession and continue to praise it now. They have been consistently wrong.
SDLP rules out mergers with parties in the Republic
SDLP leader Margaret Ritchie has ruled out any merger with parties south of the border under her watch, reports Ed Jacobs.
Ireland left with nowhere to go, damned if it does, damned if it doesn’t
If Ireland tightens fiscal policy to reduce the deficit, output growth will be even weaker in the short-term, pushing the deficit back up again. And if it cuts taxes or increases spending to boost economic activity, the deficit will also increase. It is damned if it acts, and damned if it doesn’t. Unfortunately, the only way out may be recourse to the IMF.
Why emulating Ireland means entering the “financial danger zone”
George Osborne said the Coalition had moved Britain out of the "financial danger zone". But the Irish experience shows that the planned cuts will make matters worse.