No-deal Brexit remains biggest risk to European growth, IMF warns November 6, 2019 A no-deal Brexit remains the biggest threat to the economies of Europe, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned, and could further damage already very weak growth. Read more: IMF warns 2019 global growth will fall to lowest since financial crisis The words of caution from the IMF come as Britain gears up for a [...]
Hope for German economy as factory orders beat predictions November 6, 2019 German industrial orders picked up by more than expected in September, official data has shown, providing a glimmer of home for the country’s weak economy. Read more: Eurozone ‘remains close to stagnation’ amid manufacturing slump Europe’s biggest economy has had a torrid 2019, thanks in large part to a slump in global demand hurting its [...]
Eurozone ‘remains close to stagnation’ amid manufacturing slump November 6, 2019 The Eurozone remains close to stagnation, according to a fresh set of gloomy manufacturing figures released this morning. The bloc’s rate of growth was among the weakest seen in the past six-and-a-half years during October, underlining fears of a slowdown in some of Europe’s biggest economies. Read more: UK economy to hit decade-low even with [...]
The Berlin Wall is not just a piece of history – the manner of its crumbling contains lessons for the present November 6, 2019 Thirty years ago this Saturday, on 9 November 1989, one of the greatest symbols of oppression the world has ever known began to be dismantled. The Berlin Wall had stood since 1961, built by its East German masters to encircle Allied-controlled West Berlin. But it was much more than simply a barricade. It became the [...]
If you were chancellor, what would be in your Budget? November 6, 2019 Today was scheduled to be the first Budget of Boris Johnson’s premiership. The chancellor announced the Budget last month, saying: “This is the right and responsible thing to do – we must get on with governing.” Unfortunately, to misquote a phrase, the best-laid plans of chancellors and Prime Ministers often go awry. The Budget has [...]
From World War II to the financial crisis, our institutional memory is fading fast November 6, 2019 The young contestants on Lord Sugar’s reality TV show The Apprentice sparked outrage last week. They appeared to have virtually no knowledge about the Second World War. The online clips of the sequence capture to perfection their expressions of bovine outrage at even being expected to know such an esoteric thing as how long the [...]
‘Stagnation at best’: UK’s giant services sector flatlines as Brexit uncertainty continues November 5, 2019 The UK’s enormous services sector flatlined in October as Brexit uncertainty dented demand, signalling a weak start to the third quarter for the UK economy. Read more: ‘Distressing decline’: UK construction sector contracts again in October The services purchasing managers’ index (PMI), which measures the performance of the sector, came in at 50 last month, [...]
UK consumer spending growth slows under Brexit uncertainty November 5, 2019 UK consumer spending slowed in October, a new report has shown, as Brits remained cautious with their money in the run-up to the missed 31 October Brexit deadline. Read more: UK economy to hit decade low even with Brexit deal, report warns Spending at the shops grew by 1.5 per cent in October year on [...]
US factory orders fall in September as trade war bites November 4, 2019 US factories suffered a steeper-than-expected fall in orders in September, survey data has shown, suggesting the country’s manufacturing sector is still being held back by the US-China trade war. Read more: US Fed lowers rates but signals it is done cutting Goods orders in the manufacturing sector fell 0.6 per cent last month compared to [...]
‘Distressing decline’: UK construction sector contracts again November 4, 2019 The UK construction sector shrank once again in October, survey data has shown, with civil engineering suffering its worst month in a decade as Brexit uncertainty continued to plague the industry. Read more: UK economy to hit decade low even with Brexit deal, report warns The construction purchasing managers’ index (PMI) – a gauge of [...]