Tag Archive
The deficit: it’s double or quits all round
by Jonathan Todd The politics of the deficit has had two phases. The exposure on the FT’s front page last Monday (19 September) of a £12bn hole in public finances means we are entering a third. The June 2010 budget divided the first and second stages. Up until then, and throughout the general election,... »
Cameron’s Zepplin Moment
David Cameron’s signing a letter with five other world leaders outside Europe calling on Eurozone leaders to act swiftly to halt the Euro crisis, I believe, marks a turning point in Britain’s relations with the European Union, for worse not … Continue reading → »
Memo to David Cameron re eurozone – this time we really are all in this together
The news was a little bit scary last night. Because whilst accepting that the media likes to put over the most negative view of the world, even the ones who usually show a bit of balance left you with the impression it was all gloom, gloom, gloom. And there is a horrible feeling of... »
Time to move beyond the eurozone
It’s time to set out the agenda for a managed but clear process for Greece, followed by other countries, to secede from European Monetary Union and the eurozone. »
The IMF warns slower pace of deficit reduction may be necessary
It’s finally happening. The International Monetary Fund, hardly a bastion of leftie thinking, has advised the Tory-led coalition, specifically George Osborne, that a slower pace of deficit reduction would be necessary if the British economy continued to grow less rapidly … Continue reading → »
With the world as it is, strong leadership is easier said than done
To a posh Knightsbridge hotel last night, and the launch of the Harvard Business Review in London, which they chose to celebrate with a discussion between me and BT chairman Sir Michael Rake. Nice guy, and very smart. At one point the moderator, the splendidly named Adi Ignatius, chastised us gently for ‘agreeing too... »
Without growth will we even halve the deficit?
The IMF downgrades to UK growth today is awful news for those who are hoping to cut the deficit, explains Left Foot Forward’s Cormac Hollingsworth. »
The Lib Dems shouldn’t listen to Osborne’s dribble, they should switch to Plan B now
More gloom on the economy today: The IMF have downgraded UK growth by 0.6 per cent to 1.1 per cent in 2011, and from 2.3 per cent to 1.6 per cent for 2012. »
Vindicated Balls gives absent Osborne an economics lesson
Small wonder George Osborne chose to hide last night rather than be grilled on Newsnight following yesterday’s disastrous unemployment figures, writes Shamik Das. »
Will Osborne alter course? And how should Labour respond?
With George Osborne’s policies in disarray, Ed Miliband needs to now step in, present a different explanation and, most importantly, come up with a credible Plan B. »
Picture exclusive: George Osborne “craves the sensation of leather”
Yelps of excitement were heard coming from the Chancellor’s private office this morning with news that his new leather goods had been delivered to HMT.Conclusive evidence that Gideon enjoys the sensation of black leather (finest quality, naturally) o... »
Friday News Review
Where is Plan B? David Cameron is under growing pressure to soften his hardline deficit reduction strategy after a wave of redundancies in central and local government sent unemployment surging beyond 2.5m. With the City predicting joblessness would hit 2.75m next year, the Institute of Directors, the Prince’s Trust and the TUC joined the... »
Dark Days Ahead
It’s that time of year when the nights start drawing in until we get to the point where we go to work in the dark of the mornings and return home in the dark of the evenings. But that’s not what … Continue reading → »
Osborne set to U-turn on QE – so why not on Plan B?
Chancellor George Osborne looks set to give the green light to a second round of Quantitative Easing - a policy he once described as “an admission of failure”. »
Sunday review: Back from the brink, by Alistair Darling
by Anthony Painter Like the Kennedy assassination, new camera angles on the decline and fall of Labour in office will be discovered for many years to come. What’s more, each new piece of undisclosed footage will end with the same dreadful, bloody result. So why do we do it to ourselves? We just can’t... »
George Osborne “wankers” joke backfires at GQ Awards
Perhaps even Tory-loving editor Dylan Jones regretted giving GQ magazine’s the “Politician of the Year” award to George Osborne. The chancellor drew jeers for an appalling (presumably SpAd-penned) joke while simultaneously casting the glossy lifestyle magazine as some form of pubescent masturbation aid. “I’m not sure who actually reads the politics pages of GQ... »
“Unrealistic assumptions”? Who is Mr Osborne talking about?
Last night, Geroge Osborne never named those he felt should be busy re-examining their view of the world. Could it be that the answer lies close to home? »
Britain in the growth slow lane as demand for staff stalls
Yesterday's Eurostat data on EU growth and this morning's Recruitment and Employment Confederation/KPMG Report on Jobs contain more depressing news on the economy. »
The Cost Of Austerity
The Guardian are reporting that Chancellor George Osborne last night gave a speech to City bigwigs at Lloyds of London’s annual dinner, promising to stick to his austerity plan despite the lack of recovery in sight. Having announced during the &#... »
Wednesday News Review
Testimonies put Murdoch in hot water James Murdoch could be recalled to Parliament to face MPs after fresh phone hacking claims at the News of the World emerged. The paper’s former lawyer Tom Crone told the Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee yesterday Mr Murdoch knew the practice went beyond “rogue reporter” Clive Goodman.... »
Bombardier decision threatens thousands of supply chain jobs
A new business survey conducted by Survation for Unite the Union explores the full scale of the industrial fallout if the Bombardier decision is not reversed. »
Nomination for most influential left-wing thinker of the year: Alex Salmond
If the theory goes that British Politics is becoming increasingly presidential in style, with the focus less on the parties and ever more on individual leaders themselves then Alex Salmond has taken the theory and turned it into a successful art form. »
Head bond vigilante brands Osborne’s strategy economic “suicide”
Gidoen Osborne's economic strategy has been savaged by the head bond vigilante Bill Gross, branding it "suicide", reports Left Foot Forward's Cormac Hollingsworth. »
FT takes apart Osborne’s Swiss tax deal
Today's Financial Times has drilled an alarming number of holes in George Osborne's much-spun anti-tax evasion deal with the Swiss authorities last week. »
Local MP well-placed to lobby on police cuts
The Knutsford Guardian carried a story last week about the town’s MP visiting a local police station to thank officers who had travelled to London during the riots... »
Former Coalition economic adviser: slower cuts are “common sense”
Think tank boss, Jonathan Portes - who resigned recently as chief economist of the coalition's cabinet office - says a longer deficit reduction period "is not only feasible, but sensible and prudent". »
Let’s hope Cameron and Osborne read and heed Heseltine’s lesson in The Times
Michael Heseltine has personal wealth, and a lifestyle, that is far removed from the vast bulk of people living in Britain’s inner cities, let alone those who took part in the riots. He spends his working life flitting in the back of a car between a beautiful home in Belgravia, and an even more... »
The government is failing to lay the foundations for long-term growth
The UK is less well-positioned than France or Germany to take advantage of two key changes to the world economy - the effects of technological innovation, and the rise of Brazil, Russia, India and China. »
A United States of Europe?
Twitter was alive yesterday with speculation that a ‘United States of Europe’ had been declared on the sly. People who …Continue reading » »
New IMF boss joins calls for Plan B
The new IMF boss, Christine Lagarde, has joined calls for a Plan B. In an FT op ed she says "slamming on the brakes too quickly will hurt the recovery and worsen job prospects". »