Letters to the Editor – 27/02 – Baby boom, Socialist Venezuela, Best of Twitter
Baby boom
[Re: In Britain, recessions mean more babies. In the US, births fall, yesterday]
Allister Heath is right to draw attention to the remarkable rise in UK fertility rates in the 2000s, and that this is good news for our economic future, provided we build the houses and schools that we will need. However, there is little evidence that these long-term trends have much to do with short-term macroeconomic developments. Our mini baby boom is likely to be down to immigration, more older women having babies (in part due to IVF), the introduction of tax credits, and greater availability of childcare.
Jonathan Portes, director, NIESR
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Socialist Venezuela
[Re: How socialism has destroyed Venezuela, yesterday]
Venezuela is a basket case. Supported by petro dollars and given respect internationally, its government is now in a free fall towards civil war. But what can the West do? Not very much. We can try to isolate the regime diplomatically. We can freeze its leaders’ assets. We can embargo the country. But all these things would hurt everyday citizens and give the regime more propaganda material. Instead, we should stand for democracy and the rights of Venezeulans to freedom, and shame those who tolerate the regime’s thuggery.
Phil Ostrand
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BEST OF TWITTER
Russia: 2008 all over again – geopolitical risk, ruble weakness, monetary contraction, financial distress.
@MaMoMVPY
The changing face of Britain’s housing: more private renters than social tenants for first time on record.
@jamestplunkett
The UK economy is showing a little sign of the hoped rebalancing.
@notayesmansecon
Ukraine’s foreign currency reserves have dropped to $15bn, from $17.8bn on 1 February.
@nr_zero