UK Economics Focus Where is the strength in the economy? Retailers are producing a steady flow of poor results, the housing market is undergoing a downward adjustment and the UK economy appears to be weakening from almost every angle. Yet the Monetary... 31st March 2005 · 1 min read
UK Economics Focus Long term trends in consumer spending Spending in different consumer sub-sectors can fluctuate significantly on a monthly, quarterly or even annual basis. But a look back over the past 40 years suggests that spending in most sectors has... 22nd March 2005 · 1 min read
UK Economics Focus Long term trends in consumer spending Spending in different consumer sub-sectors can fluctuate significantly on a monthly, quarterly or even annual basis. But a look back over the past 40 years suggests that spending in most sectors has... 22nd March 2005 · 1 min read
UK Economics Focus Budget 2005: Tight, but not quite as tight as it looks For a pre-election Budget, this was a pretty restrained affair. Indeed, the tax and spending measures add up to a small fiscal tightening of £265m in 2005-06, a far cry from the giveaway of up to £5bn... 16th March 2005 · 1 min read
UK Economics Focus Is there a hidden fiscal crisis? Recent discussion on the public finances has focused on the very narrow question of whether the Chancellor is likely to meet his fiscal rules and whether taxes are likely to rise after the general... 9th March 2005 · 1 min read
UK Economics Focus Budget 2005 Preview Gordon Brown presents his ninth Budget on Wednesday 16th March against a pretty favourable economic backdrop. As he will no doubt remind us, his prediction a year ago that the economy would grow by at... 2nd March 2005 · 1 min read
UK Economics Focus Budget 2005 Preview Gordon Brown presents his ninth Budget on Wednesday 16th March against a pretty favourable economic backdrop. As he will no doubt remind us, his prediction a year ago that the economy would grow by at... 2nd March 2005 · 1 min read
UK Economics Focus MPC may be too sanguine on link between housing & spending The Monetary Policy Committee has soothed concerns over the recent slowdown in the housing market by pointing out that the link between house prices and household spending has loosened markedly in... 14th February 2005 · 1 min read
UK Economics Focus MPC may be too sanguine on link between housing & spending The Monetary Policy Committee has soothed concerns over the recent slowdown in the housing market by pointing out that the link between house prices and household spending has loosened markedly in... 14th February 2005 · 1 min read
UK Economics Focus The three hurdles facing UK exports Over the last decade the weakness of the UK’s external sector has been more than offset by the strength of domestic demand. But now that domestic demand is weakening as the housing market slows, the... 7th February 2005 · 1 min read
UK Economics Focus The falling dollar’s threat to the UK The realignment of the US dollar against the world’s other major currencies has pushed the dollar/pound exchange rate to its highest levels since Black Wednesday and put a $2.00 pound within reach... 27th January 2005 · 1 min read
UK Economics Focus Average earnings growth no barrier to lower interest rates Average earnings growth has recently started to edge dangerously close to the 4.5% threshold which the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) has previously stated is the maximum consistent with meeting its... 12th January 2005 · 1 min read
UK Economics Focus Unemployment might not live down to expectations At the heart of the consensus view that the housing market and the economy as a whole will see a relatively soft landing over the next year or two is the assumption that unemployment will remain at... 15th December 2004 · 1 min read
UK Economics Focus Pre-Budget Report 2004 Gordon Brown did his best to play Santa to parents and children in the Pre-Budget Report, but the poor state of the public finances meant that his Christmas sack was virtually empty. The childcare... 2nd December 2004 · 1 min read
UK Economics Focus Pre-Budget Report 2004 - Preview Gordon Brown will present the Pre-Budget Report (PBR) on Thursday 1st December against a mixed economic backdrop. The good news is that his optimism towards the economy this year has been justified by... 26th November 2004 · 1 min read
UK Economics Focus Should we be worried about M4? While most economic indicators have pointed to a slowdown in the growth of the UK economy in recent months, one has pointed strongly in the opposite direction. The growth of the broad money supply has... 8th November 2004 · 1 min read
