House prices set to rise in 2010, dollar set to recover, China set for meteoric growth and UK set for export led boom
23 Dec 2009 [5 Comments | 2,548 views]
Well, this may not seem like realism to you, but yesterday saw a raging torrent of information pointing to a humdinger of a recovery in 2010. According to the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), house prices are set to rise next year by between 1 and 2 per cent. The volume of monthly sales is [...]
Leading economist warns of recession mark II
23 Dec 2009 [3 Comments | 1,801 views]
Charles Goodhart is one of those rare individuals who has a rule named after him. It is one of those rules that has been re-interpreted so many times that it has evolved. Originally, Goodhart’s Law said that as soon as a given monetary policy target is set, that target would immediately lose credibility. These days [...]
Bankers’ impending exodus is a joke
22 Dec 2009 [0 Comments | 933 views]
It seems that bankers may not be fleeing these shores after all. No, it’s not the allure of hearing Slade every Christmas, rather it’s the price of property in Switzerland that will keep them here. While this publication is not in love with banks and their reckless ways that brought this economy into such a [...]
Soros says UK default unlikely
22 Dec 2009 [0 Comments | 350 views]
Some columns are vitriolic in their condemnation of Labour and how it has allowed the fiscal deficit to explode. Many argue that Britain just can’t afford its debts and it will all end in a crashing pound, soaring interest rates and the story of the UK will be just like the Argentinean story, of a [...]
The public sector still expects wage rises next year – is that an ostrich with its head in the sand, or strikes on the horizon?
22 Dec 2009 [0 Comments | 245 views]
The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development has been busy. It interviewed 2,500 people and, would you believe it, the majority of public sector workers reckon they will get a 2 per cent pay rise next year. Mind you, private sector employees are expecting a 3 per cent pay rise, but there is an important [...]
Twitter in the black
22 Dec 2009 [0 Comments | 229 views]
Do you Twitter? If you do, here is some truly wonderful news. Early in the New Year we will be too, so you will be able to follow our intrepid exploits, and Twitter what we are thinking. Bet you can’t wait. Meanwhile, here’s some news on Twitter itself. According to a report on Bloomberg, Twitter’s [...]
Christmas parties see fall in spend
22 Dec 2009 [0 Comments | 221 views]
And finally, have you noticed that the caviare has been replaced by lump fish? Bollinger with Cava? Have sausage rolls become decidedly stale? Yes, that’s right, less money has been spent on Christmas parties this year. The Centre of Economics and Business Research estimates that this year employers will spend about £600 million on Christmas [...]
Wonderful, wonderful Copenhagen: you were not, and this is where you went wrong
21 Dec 2009 [4 Comments | 470 views]
Not many people left Copenhagen happy. Ed Miliband was so outspoken on the Copenhagen debacle that the Guardian was moved to paraphrase him with the headline: “China tried to hijack Copenhagen climate deal.” Muhammed Chowdhury, a negotiator representing the so called G77, which is made up of most of the word’s poorest countries said: “The [...]
The economics of X Factor
21 Dec 2009 [0 Comments | 367 views]
Well, there are universities where you can take David Beckham studies, why not one that offers the economics of the X Factor? It is just that actually there are some fascinating bits of economics lurking in what one can only describe as a weird few days for reality TV. In fact the economic lesson of [...]
High Street sees November stumble
18 Dec 2009 [0 Comments | 265 views]
Statistics, eh! According to the Office for National Statistics, retail sales were 0.3 per cent down in November from the month before. Sales were up 3.1 per cent on the same month last year, but remember, last year the High Street was awful. The British Retail Consortium released similarly downbeat data earlier in the month. [...]
