Miliband outlines Labour Party’s economic plans: No big spending, more banks, 200,000 new homes a year July 19, 2014 Ed Miliband has told Labour there will be no return to the high spending of the previous Labour government and that the party will commit to "balancing the books" at the Party’s national policy forum in Milton Keynes today. The Labour leader outlined economic plans to party activists in a speech ahead of next year’s [...]
…but wage growth lags further behind pace of price inflation July 16, 2014 FALLING unemployment and a rise in the number of jobs announced yesterday both failed to boost the value of wages, which grew 0.7 per cent in the quarter compared to a year ago, excluding bonuses. The figure from the Office of National Statistics (ONS), which excludes those who are self-employed, is just 0.3 per cent [...]
UK unemployment at lowest rate since December 2008 July 16, 2014 The unemployment rate has continued to fall, dropping from 6.6 per cent to 6.5 per cent during the three months to May in line with analysts' predictions – the lowest it has been since October to December 2008. The data released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows that unemployment has been dropping for a [...]
Real wages continue fall to dash hopes that cost of living crisis is easing July 16, 2014 The recovery is still some way off reaching people's pockets, as earnings growth slowed to a meagre 0.3 per cent in the three months to May, according to the Office of National Statistics. Average earnings for the three months to May fell from a revised 0.8 per cent figure for April to its lowest [...]
Inflation jumps to biggest monthly increase since October 2012 July 15, 2014 UK consumer inflation unexpectedly jumped to 1.9 per cent in June, according to latest figures from the Office of National Statistics (ONS). Headline annual consumer price inflation (CPI) recorded a much higher increase than had been forecast, rising 0.4 percentage points on the May figure. That is the biggest monthly increase since October 2012 [...]
Roman and iron age coins found in Derbyshire cave: Could they have belonged to an ancient speculator? July 7, 2014 The discovery of 26 coins at Reynard's Kitchen Cave in Dovedale, Derbyshire, has historians faced with something of a mystery. The 26 coins unearthed include artefacts both of Roman and late iron age origin – the first time coins of these two have been found buried together in a British cave – along with a [...]
As Ed Miliband seeks to woo businesses, is Labour’s pro-enterprise stance credible? July 3, 2014 Lord Wood of Anfield, shadow cabinet minister and adviser to Ed Miliband, says Yes. Labour knows that the foundation of a successful Britain is the success of British business – large and small, home and abroad. But to compete and succeed in the decades ahead, we need to address the long-term challenges of our economy. [...]
We need a futuristic vision of genuine capitalism to halt the expanding state June 25, 2014 CAPITALISM is under attack and its defenders need to fight back. Most defences of capitalism begin and end with economic efficiency, and for good reason. The case is overwhelming. Last week, I moved onto the moral case, which is equally compelling. This week, I want to set out the third pillar of the defence, namely [...]
Why significantly extending the Living Wage is not the best way to help the poorest June 24, 2014 JOHN Sentamu, the charismatic archbishop of York, has again thrown his weight behind the recommendations of the Living Wage Commission he chairs. Not to be confused with the government’s Low Pay Commission, which recommends the statutory minimum wage, the Living Wage Commission is a private pressure group funded by trade unions and faith organisations. Its [...]
Why Mark Carney will be hoping his World Cup analogy isn’t too precise May 14, 2014 The Bank of England's governor has brought back an old favourite to the central bank's press conferences: sport analogies. Mark Carney has suggested that securing the UK's economic recovery so far has been "like making it through the qualifying rounds of the World Cup". A major achievement, but not the ultimate goal. The "real tournament" [...]