Letters to the Editor – 29/10 – Failing reforms, Best of Twitter October 28, 2013 Failing reforms [Re: Welfare reforms rolled out in London today, yesterday] The thinking behind Universal Credit is well-intentioned: to simplify our complex tax credits system, while incentivising people to take up work. But its execution is doomed to fail, not because of bungling at the Department for Work and Pensions, but because it aims to have [...]
No taper, says Yellen, but unemployment must be trimmed November 14, 2013 As anticipated, nominee for next chairperson of the US Federal Reserve, Janet Yellen has just delivered a very dovish speech to the Senate Banking Committee. There is no set time for tapering, and the biggest problem facing the US economy at the moment is the plight of the long-term unemployed – a "virtually unprecedented" situation, [...]
Centrica labels Labour plan as a recipe for ruin September 24, 2013 BRITAIN’S big six energy companies yesterday lambasted Labour leader Ed Miliband’s pledge to freeze energy bills until 2017, saying his planned reforms could financially ruin firms and discourage infrastructure investment. Sir Roger Carr, chairman of British Gas owner Centrica, said Labour’s plan to implement price controls could leave companies in a vulnerable position. “When costs [...]
UK sees strongest new business growth in service sector for 16 years September 4, 2013 Great news for the UK service sector this August, as the latest data from Markit shows that activity in the sector is growing at its fastest pace since December 2006. The purchasing managers' index rose from 60.2 to 60.5, despite an expected slowing in expansion to 59.0. New business growth also grew at the fastest [...]
This is the eye of the financial storm: UK banks are far from being healthy November 4, 2013 PRIVATISATION at Lloyds, but losses. An internal quasi-bad bank at RBS. Co-op bank falling into the hands of its bondholders. How healthy is the UK’s banking sector? With GDP growth picking up, and crisis in the Eurozone in abeyance, it’s natural to imagine that the worst of the UK’s banking crisis is now behind us. [...]
Bank timidity over interest rate rises risks a destabilising build-up in debt December 8, 2013 THE BANK of England’s revised mandate may push the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) to leave interest rates on hold for too long, complicating efforts to bring down inflation and household debt to more prudent levels. Key to the timing of interest rate rises will be unemployment, since the Bank is highly unlikely to hike rates [...]
What the other papers say this morning – 10 October 2013 October 9, 2013 FINANCIAL TIMES Outsourced contractors face blacklist Ministers will be able to blacklist contractors who provide substandard services for the first time under rules set to be ratified by the European Union within weeks. The government has been pressing for the measures in the wake of G4S’s failure to provide security guards at the Olympics and [...]
Reactions to the chancellor’s statement March 19, 2014 THINK TANK’S TAKE Director at the Adam Smith InstituteEamonn Butler The libertarian think tank applauded the freedom granted to pensioners. “At last Britain's private pension savers will be treated like responsible adults. As lifetimes have lengthened and financial uncertainty has abounded, annuity rates have fallen, leaving savers much worse off then they expected. The rule [...]
New issues make a strong comeback in the London market December 18, 2013 As the year comes to an end there’s definitely cause for celebration in London’s new issues or Initial Public Offering (IPO) market. According to figures out today from EY, the advisory firm, there were 14 main market share listings this year, raising £5.2bn. That’s not exactly an avalanche of deals but the total represents a [...]
UK economy improving but far from cured December 8, 2013 THERE can be no doubt that this Winter Budget – as it should really have been called – was a great win for George Osborne. For the first time since around 2007, Britain is moving in the right, rather than the wrong, direction. Growth has bounced back, the deficit is falling, employment is surging, unemployment [...]