Germany beats recession fears in third quarter – but only just November 14, 2019 Germany narrowly avoided falling into recession in the third quarter thanks to unexpectedly strong consumer spending, data showed today. Europe’s largest economy thwarted expectations of a contraction as it eked out a 0.1 per cent quarter-on-quarter growth rate. Read more: Eurozone industrial production beats predictions but Germany remains weak The country’s GDP posted a 0.5 [...]
Fed chair Jay Powell foresees ‘sustained expansion’ for economy November 13, 2019 US Federal Reserve chairman Jay Powell has said he foresees a “sustained expansion” of the country’s economy, in a testimony to Congress a day after President Trump ripped into the central bank. However, Powell said if a downturn should occur then the government would need to fight it with fiscal policy. Yet he said this [...]
Gap between Tory and Labour tax plans hits its biggest in a generation November 13, 2019 The Conservatives and Labour’s plans for taxes are the most different in a generation, a new report has said, with a “tax pledge gap” of £60bn set to become a key election battleground. Labour is expected to call for tax increases of at least £50bn a year in its manifesto, while the Conservatives’ are likely [...]
Eurozone industrial production beats predictions but Germany still weak November 13, 2019 Industrial production the Eurozone grew for the second straight month in September, official figures showed today, beating analysts’ expectations. Read more: Mario Draghi’s ECB reign ends with Eurozone ‘close to stagnation’ The slump in Germany’s factory sector continued, however, with output falling a chunky one per cent as Europe’s biggest economy slides towards recession. Industrial [...]
UK inflation falls to near three-year low as energy prices are capped November 13, 2019 UK inflation fell to its slowest rate in almost three years in October, official figures showed today, as growth was held back by the energy price cap. Read more: UK suffers biggest fall in jobs in four years The consumer price index (CPI) – a gauge of how much prices have risen over the year [...]
Today’s apologists for socialism still won’t acknowledge the lessons of the Berlin Wall November 13, 2019 The media has been awash over the past week with stories about the thirtieth anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. My favourite vignette concerns a couple living in East Berlin who were delighted to have a telephone installed in their apartment only weeks before the Wall came down. They had been on the [...]
Donald Trump defends China trade war but says a deal ‘close’ November 12, 2019 US President Donald Trump has doubled down on his tariff war with China in a major speech, accusing the country of “ransacking” the American economy, but also saying phase one of a trade deal is “close”. Read more: China trade expo yields results as US deal hangs in balance Talking at the Economic Club of [...]
Sir Martin Sorrell: Post-Brexit economy should be ‘Singapore on steroids’ November 12, 2019 Advertising veteran Sir Martin Sorrell has called on the government to pursue a “Singapore on steroids” strategy for the UK economy after Brexit. The former WPP boss, who now runs digital ad firm S4 Capital, said the UK should seek to establish a free-market, pro-business economy similar to that of the Asian financial hub. Read [...]
UK suffers biggest fall in jobs in four years November 12, 2019 The number of people in work in Britain fell at its fastest rate in four years between July and September, official figures have shown, in the latest sign that the UK’s booming jobs market is slowing. Read more: UK avoids recession but annual growth slowest in almost a decade The Office for National Statistics (ONS) [...]
DEBATE: Are this week’s UK growth figures anything to celebrate? November 12, 2019 Are this week’s UK growth figures anything to celebrate? Ruth Lea, economic adviser at the Arbuthnot Banking Group, says YES. The GDP data for the third quarter of 2019 was a tad weaker than expected, and much has been made of the growth rate being the weakest since the start of 2010. But the data [...]