Commodities crash to 11-year low as deflation fears grow: Latest price slump complicates backdrop for interest rate hikes July 20, 2015 Global commodity prices have slumped amid a glut of supply and low demand – and now experts are foreseeing the prospect of deflation in the West. A basket of commodities measured by the Bloomberg commodities index has fallen to an 11-year low, and the index is down 42 per cent since its peak in [...]
YouGov: Why you should still trust our research – Brand Index May 12, 2015 After 15 years of getting every election right and setting new standards of accuracy in both polling and market research, YouGov got an election wrong. Sure, every other pollster got it wrong, too. But YouGov has become the face of the industry, and now there’s egg on it. This matters to readers of this [...]
The Scottish National Party’s decision over fox hunting has exposed their desire to vote on English only issues July 14, 2015 Last night Nicola Sturgeon, leader of the Scottish National Party, participated in the mammoth discussion with her party that resulted in the SNP's 56 Westminster MPs intention to renege on their promise to keep out of issues that do not impact on Scotland. And now, while Conservative MPs had been given a free vote on [...]
China’s shock devaluation is more about reform than its authorities panicking August 11, 2015 In a surprise move, China weakened its currency yesterday by setting the daily fix for the RMB 1.9 per cent lower, in its most significant devaluation since 1994. This has fuelled a great deal of speculation as to the reasons for this move and the ultimate implications for the Chinese economy and the rest of [...]
Greece crisis: After six months in power Alexis Tsipras’ Syriza government has left the country with a veritable Mount Olympus to climb July 30, 2015 Alexis Tsipras’ six-month old left-wing Syriza government has put the country through a breath-taking roller-coaster of ideological hysteria, politico-economic gambles, and farcical constitutional experiments. Now it faces a rockier path ahead than the one it inherited. Perversely, at the time they lost power, the previous government was beginning to boast financial indicators pointing [...]
July Budget 2015: Dividend tax credit being scrapped in favour of £5,000 allowance July 8, 2015 Chancellor George Osborne is scrapping the dividend tax credit, introducing a £5,000 tax-free dividend in its place. On top of that, tax rates on dividend income are rising. Basic rate taxpayers – who currently pay 10 per cent, although this is offset by the tax credit – will pay 7.5 per cent on [...]
Greek debt crisis: “Greece will continue to fight”, vows Alexis Tsipras July 13, 2015 Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has triumphantly told his people that the country has "sent a message of democracy", after the embattled nation's government finally agreed a deal with creditors which will unlock three years of funding. Read more: Here's everything we know about Greece's new bailout deal In an official statement this afternoon, Tsipras said [...]
Tsipras lashes out at lenders ahead of poll July 1, 2015 The Greek government’s standoff with its bailout providers descended deeper into farce yesterday after Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras put a new offer on the table, only to insist later in the day that a referendum will go ahead on a previous offer made by its creditors. International stock markets jumped on reports that Tsipras was [...]
Labour leadership race: Candidates clash over business as Kendall urges party to back “wealth creation” June 18, 2015 The four candidates in the race to succeed Ed Miliband as leader of the Labour party have clashed over the party's relationship with business in the first televised debate. Andy Burnham, the favourite in the race, said that Labour had to be the party that helped "everyone get on in life". Asked if a budget [...]
Is China fragile? It could well surprise us – CNBC Comment August 4, 2015 WITH earnings season in full swing, China remains the buzzword – but for all the wrong reasons. As analysts who have questioned the strength of the world’s second-largest economy start to look a lot less like Cassandras, the question remains: when will the Asian powerhouse stabilise? Short answer: it’s tough to tell at this stage. [...]