UK Economics Focus Budget 2006 Preview We expect Gordon Brown’s tenth Budget to contain tax increases worth £3bn to £4bn, probably rather larger than most people will expect. If we are right, the resulting tightening of the fiscal stance... 8th March 2006 · 1 min read
UK Economics Focus UK Budget: Building the new war chest We expect Gordon Brown’s tenth Budget to contain tax increases worth £3bn to £4bn, probably rather larger than most people will expect. If we are right, the resulting tightening of the fiscal stance... 8th March 2006 · 1 min read
UK Economics Focus UK Pre-Budget Report - Bloodied, but unbowed Gordon Brown swapped his annual Santa Claus act for something closer to Robin Hood, taking from the rich oil companies to give to poorer families and pensioners. Sooner or later, however, he will have... 5th December 2005 · 1 min read
UK Economics Focus No free lunch in corporate tax hikes Speculation that taxes will need to rise in the UK has largely assumed that households will bear the brunt of any increases. And yet the recent weakness of household spending and the contrasting... 28th November 2005 · 1 min read
UK Economics Focus Pre-Budget Report 2005 - Preview This year’s Pre-Budget Report on December 5th will be an uncomfortable experience for Gordon Brown. Having been proved right on the economy last year, this time he will have to admit he has got it... 24th November 2005 · 1 min read
UK Economics Focus Higher tax-take weighs down on households The slowdown in household income growth that has driven a large part of the recent spending downturn has come as something of a surprise. Particularly puzzling is the 12% or so rise in the amount of... 23rd November 2005 · 1 min read
UK Economics Focus Higher tax-take weighs down on households The slowdown in household income growth that has driven a large part of the recent spending downturn has come as something of a surprise. Particularly puzzling is the 12% or so rise in the amount of... 23rd November 2005 · 1 min read
UK Economics Focus UK Economics Special - Getting the books back in order: Recent years have seen a major deterioration in the UK’s fiscal position, with the sizeable budget surpluses of three or four years ago replaced by hefty deficits. At a time when large parts of the... 23rd May 2005 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Focus EU Stability and Growth Pact – An Obituary The changes agreed this week clearly water down the EU stability and growth pact (SGP) and allow far greater scope for countries to run budget deficits above the 3% limit. Thus it may seem odd that... 24th 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 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
