The surprising resilience of the UK economy is despite rather than because of anything the government has done. Plus thoughts on housing ‘wealth effects’, the latest Brexit polls, and the UK-EU reset. Theme of the Week Most commentators – myself among them – have been pleasantly surprised by the resilience of the UK economy in … Continue reading Weekly wrap – Why the government can’t claim credit for better growth
Category: UK economy
Brace for a toxic UK-EU ‘reset’
Even the dodgy official estimates suggest that the proposed UK-EU ‘reset’ would boost the UK economy by no more than 0.4% in the long run. Rarely has so much been given away in return for so little. Next Friday (20 November) brings a crucial summit aimed at approving a ‘reset’ of Britain’s relationship with the … Continue reading Brace for a toxic UK-EU ‘reset’
Weekly wrap – Mid-term blues
A well-deserved defeat for Donald Trump and more dither and delay from Andy Burnham. At least the BoE delivered a decisive rate hike – the first of ‘two and done’? – and it was right to do so. Theme of the Week Global attention turned to the aftermath of the US mid-term elections, where Trump’s … Continue reading Weekly wrap – Mid-term blues
MPC had to take out an ‘insurance’ hike
With a bit of luck, the Bank of England will not have to raise interest rates much further. Nonetheless, borrowers are still paying the price for years of government policy failures. The Bank of England’s decision to raise interest rates by a quarter point, to 4%, is an insurance hike to get ahead of the … Continue reading MPC had to take out an ‘insurance’ hike
