UK Economics Focus UK Pre-Budget Report 2006 This Pre-Budget Report was vintage Gordon Brown - a blizzard of statistics and a flurry of measures and announcements, most of them old, but without many substantive changes. The one noteworthy... 6th December 2006 · 1 min read
UK Economics Focus What's your inflation rate? According to the official figures, consumer price inflation has remained reasonably subdued in recent months. But the published average inflation rates disguise large differences in inflation rates... 30th November 2006 · 1 min read
UK Economics Focus UK Pre-Budget Report 2006 Preview Gordon Brown will give an upbeat assessment of the economic outlook in the Pre-Budget Report, with favourable implications for the public finances. But the big picture is that fiscal policy will be... 27th November 2006 · 1 min read
UK Economics Focus Is the current account about to get a whole lot worse? In recent years the UK’s external position has benefited greatly from a strong net inflow of income on its overseas investments. But changing economic conditions such as a US-led global slowdown could... 20th November 2006 · 1 min read
UK Economics Focus Europe won't rescue UK from the US slowdown Concerns over the effects on the UK of a major US slowdown have been eased by the fact that our closest trading partner, Europe, is growing strongly. But this won’t fully protect the UK, leaving GDP... 1st November 2006 · 1 min read
UK Economics Focus Subdued income growth to limit spending recovery Unless households reduce their saving further, consumer spending growth will not recover without a pick-up in income growth. But with the growth of household income set to remain subdued, we think... 16th October 2006 · 1 min read
UK Economics Focus Subdued income growth to limit spending recovery Unless households reduce their saving further, consumer spending growth will not recover without a pick-up in income growth. But with the growth of household income set to remain subdued, we think... 16th October 2006 · 1 min read
UK Economics Focus The impact of VAT import fraud on the public finances In recent years the Treasury has lost an increasing amount of tax revenue to VAT import fraud. But this fraud is unlikely to have been as prevalent as some of the figures published in the press... 5th October 2006 · 1 min read
UK Economics Focus How far can retailers widen their margins? The recent combination of rising cost pressures and subdued inflation on the high street implies that retailers’ margins have borne the brunt of the rises in energy costs. With a recovery in retail... 20th September 2006 · 1 min read
UK Economics Focus How far can retailers widen their margins? The recent combination of rising cost pressures and subdued inflation on the high street implies that retailers’ margins have borne the brunt of the rises in energy costs. With a recovery in retail... 20th September 2006 · 1 min read
UK Economics Focus Is UK plc investing enough? With nominal business investment currently at an historical low as a share of GDP, the corporate sector’s investment in the capital stock and the future health of the economy appears to be woefully... 23rd August 2006 · 1 min read
UK Economics Focus Endowment shortfalls - another drag on consumer spending? Households have certainly not had it easy over the last year or so. And one factor which presents a further threat to spending over the next few years is the projected shortfalls on endowment... 2nd August 2006 · 1 min read
UK Economics Focus Endowment shortfalls - another drag on consumer spending? Households have certainly not had it easy over the last year or so. And one factor which presents a further threat to spending over the next few years is the projected shortfalls on endowment... 2nd August 2006 · 1 min read
UK Economics Focus Saving for old age presents a long-term threat to spending Households are gradually waking up to the fact that they are not making adequate provisions for their retirement. As such, higher saving for old age could be crucial in prompting the recent rise in... 19th July 2006 · 1 min read
UK Economics Focus Saving for old age presents a long-term threat to spending Households are gradually waking up to the fact that they are not making adequate provisions for their retirement. As such, higher saving for old age could be crucial in prompting the recent rise in... 19th July 2006 · 1 min read
UK Economics Focus The energy price threat to the UK economy Higher energy prices remain a significant threat to the UK economy. This is despite the fact that growth and inflation have appeared to be largely unscathed from recent rises in oil and wholesale gas... 10th July 2006 · 1 min read
