The first official figures for UK GDP in the final quarter of last year may not have been quite as bad as expected, but it says a lot that some are keen to trumpet economic growth of just 0.1% as ‘good news' and a much-needed 'boost' for Rachel Reeves. Quarterly growth of at least 0.4% … Continue reading Fourth quarter GDP ‘boost’ is nothing to cheer
Tag: bank of england
Crashing UK economy needs lower rates
ICYMI, here’s a summary of my comments on X (formerly Twitter) on today’s Bank of England announcement… The Bank of England’s decision to cut interest rates by ¼% to 4½% was welcome but completely overshadowed by a gloomy set of forecasts. The MPC has been forced to act because the UK economy is crashing. The … Continue reading Crashing UK economy needs lower rates
Is the UK sliding back into ‘recession’?
The answer to this question partly depends on your definition of ‘recession’, but I can think of at least three ways of approaching it. First, "two quarters of falling GDP"? Probably 'no', or at least not yet. Second, "two quarters of falling GDP per head"? Almost certainly 'yes'. Indeed, we already appear to be in … Continue reading Is the UK sliding back into ‘recession’?
Is there hope for Britain’s economy in 2025?
In the memorable words of one official statistician, Britain’s economy was “going gangbusters” at the beginning of 2024. Unfortunately, last year appears to have ended with a whimper. The best hope now is that this pattern will be reversed in 2025, with a sluggish start giving way to a strong and sustained recovery. But the … Continue reading Is there hope for Britain’s economy in 2025?
Plain-speaking Economics 