UK house prices begin second dip
30 Jul 2010 [3 Comments | 782 views]
Yet more evidence that UK house prices have begun to fall again has emerged over the last few days with surveys from the Bank of England, Nationwide and Hometrack all pointing down. The question is, how deep will the falls be this time? The latest data from the Bank of England was pretty clear. Mortgage [...]
The population shift: some hard facts
30 Jul 2010 [0 Comments | 534 views]
Of course, there is nothing factual about projecting the population. Forecasting population growth, just like predicting economic growth, is something of a guessing game. But maybe it is more accurate than most forms of forecasting. After all, armed with information about birth and death rates, and immigration policy, one can make some pretty good guesses. [...]
Cable calls for more immigration: is he right?
30 Jul 2010 [0 Comments | 346 views]
It couldn’t have been worse timing. Vince Cable calls for a more flexible immigration policy, and then a report comes out predicting the UK’s population will rise from 62 million today to 77 million by 2050. And yet it was good timing, too, because yesterday saw the announcement that the default retirement age will be [...]
The credit crunch may be over
30 Jul 2010 [1 Comment | 589 views]
With talk that the US will suffer a second dip; with the crisis in the eurozone still bubbling beneath the surface; and with British banks coming under the spotlight again for not lending enough; it is tempting to conclude that all we have to look forward to is woe on the economy. And yet, news [...]
Mervyn King, and the hornets’ nest.
29 Jul 2010 [1 Comment | 396 views]
Mervyn King, Governor of the Bank of England, has been busy stirring up a hornets’ nest. Actually, maybe it would be more accurate to say several hornets’ nests. He has slammed banks, left Nick Clegg with a lot of explaining to do, and sounded a bleak warning over the economy. This is what he said [...]
Should BP pay for damage caused by its bad PR?
29 Jul 2010 [2 Comments | 299 views]
Here is your question, or is that questions, of the day: if the spilled oil from BP’s oil rig never actually reaches the Florida coast, but the state tourist industry suffers anyway because of all the publicity, should BP still be held responsible? Supposing BP is cleared of all charges of bad practice, and that [...]
The great banking experiment. What matters most: price or service?
29 Jul 2010 [1 Comment | 456 views]
It is time for the British public to put their money where their mouth is. Today saw the first launch of a High Street bank in 100 years. And it offers all the services we have berated banks for not offering. But it comes at a price. Will the public be willing to pay that [...]
Not even the IMF can make up its mind over China and the yuan
28 Jul 2010 [0 Comments | 357 views]
As you know, China’s policy of keeping the yuan down relative to the dollar is the cause of all economic ills. At least that’s what some of the more paranoid US politicians would have you believe. This is a tad ironic, because it seems that the IMF can’t even make up its own mind over [...]
US double dip: evidence mounts
28 Jul 2010 [0 Comments | 272 views]
Evidence that a US double dip recession is looking more likely came in four helpings yesterday. Although, in a funny kind of way, it may not be bad news in the long run. Helping number one came in the shape of the latest figures on US consumer confidence. You may recall, this fell sharply last [...]
What’s that – good news from the Gulf of Mexico?
28 Jul 2010 [0 Comments | 273 views]
New boss, and already things are looking better at BP. Yesterday, amidst all the bleak talk of its massive loss, some good news was all but missed. In fact, it may have been just about the best bit of news on BP for a very long time. Before we tell you about the good news, [...]
