Tag Archives: George Osborne

UK avoids triple-dip recession

Posted on April 25, 2013 by George Higson

As expected, the UK economy has escaped from a triple-dip recession by the skin of its teeth with a return to positive growth of just 0.3% in the first quarter of 2013, according to provisional estimates released by the ONS today. Continue reading →

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Budget 2013 – Comment

Posted on March 20, 2013 by George Higson

With interest rates at an all time low, and with QE having run out of steam, it looks like conventional monetary policy is, as least for now, a dead duck. Low interest rates and quantitative easing were supposed to be … Continue reading →

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UK credit rating downgraded

Posted on February 23, 2013 by George Higson

The UK lost its coveted Aaa credit rating, which it has held since 1978, when Moody’s downgraded UK government bonds by one notch to Aa1. The other two main agencies have yet to make a move, but it is likely that they will follow suit in the near future. Continue reading →

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Child Benefit reforms – the end of universal benefits?

Posted on January 6, 2013 by George Higson

The UK government’s new higher income tax charge for those claiming Child Benefit, which comes into effect tomorrow (7th January, 2013), marks an end to universal welfare benefits in the UK. The new scaled charge applies to taxpayers who have … Continue reading →

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Autumn Statement

Posted on December 5, 2012 by Tom Cantor

The UK Chancellor, George Osborne, today delivered the later than usual Autumn Statement – his third since the Coalition government came to power promising to ‘clear up the economic mess’ left by the previous Labour government. Continue reading →

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Trade gap widens

Posted on August 11, 2012 by Tom Cantor

The latest seasonally adjusted trade figures for the UK, released this week, give a clear indication of the weak state of both the global and the UK economies. The trade gap widened from £7.8bn in the first quarter of 2012 … Continue reading →

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UK economy shrinks by a further 0.7%

Posted on July 25, 2012 by George Higson

The UK economy experienced another fall in GDP in the second quarter of 2012, according to provisional estimates released by the ONS today, making this the longest and deepest double-dip recession since official records began over 50 years ago. UK … Continue reading →

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CPI inflation lowest rate for 30 months

Posted on June 19, 2012 by George Higson

The annual CPI figures for the UK showed a fall from 3.0% in April 2012 to 2.8% in May, the lowest for 2.5 years. Continue reading →

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