UK Economics Focus Autumn Budget Response – Chancellor defies OBR’s gloom As expected, the Chancellor Philip Hammond was constrained by the Office for Budget Responsibility’s (OBR) gloom over the economic outlook. Nonetheless, recent favourable fiscal trends and some timely... 22nd November 2017 · 1 min read
UK Economics Focus Autumn Budget Preview – OBR will box the Chancellor in The Chancellor’s room for manoeuvre in the Budget on 22nd November will be severely restricted by a gloomier outlook for economic growth. We expect a broadly fiscally neutral package of measures to... 16th November 2017 · 1 min read
UK Economics Focus How is Brexit shaping up? This Focus discusses what we have learnt about the Brexit negotiations so far. It addresses four key questions. First, are there now signs that Brexit worries are weighing on the economy? Second, how... 11th August 2017 · 1 min read
UK Economics Focus Will exports and investment pick up the baton? While the fall in the pound hasn’t yet boosted net trade, there are signs that the external sector will soon start making positive contributions to GDP growth. The depreciation should also support... 8th August 2017 · 1 min read
UK Economics Focus Can consumers survive the pay squeeze? With the effects of the lower pound appearing to be fading at the start of the production line, CPI inflation looks to have almost peaked already and we think that it will gradually start to head down... 17th July 2017 · 1 min read
UK Economics Focus When and how fast will the MPC tighten? While there is no urgency for the MPC to dampen inflationary pressures, the extraordinary starting point of policy and general resilience of the economy suggest that UK interest rates are likely to... 6th July 2017 · 1 min read
UK Economics Focus Election 2017 Preview With major differences between the main parties both on Brexit and the stance and mix of fiscal policy, the outcome of the general election on June 8th could have a rather greater impact on the... 1st June 2017 · 1 min read
UK Economics Focus Spring Budget 2017: OBR ties Hammond’s hands The Office for Budget Responsibility’s caution on both the economic and fiscal outlook limited the Chancellor’s room for manoeuvre in this last spring Budget. But he still has a little room to loosen... 8th March 2017 · 1 min read
UK Economics Focus Spring Budget 2017 Preview The more rapid improvement in the public finances than anticipated in the Autumn Statement, should give the Chancellor a borrowing windfall. However, the recent strength in the economy means that... 1st March 2017 · 1 min read
UK Economics Focus Will policy help or hinder? The response from policy makers is one of the main reasons that the UK economy has so far weathered the Brexit vote well. And there are reasons to think that monetary and fiscal policy can continue to... 13th February 2017 · 2 mins read
UK Economics Focus What have we learned about Brexit? The prospect of Brexit has proved much less damaging to the UK economy than most forecasters expected after the referendum seven months ago. And while there is still much uncertainty over what Brexit... 7th February 2017 · 1 min read
UK Economics Focus How worried should we be about inflation? Sterling’s post-referendum fall has clearly put inflation on a steep upward trajectory this year. But there are reasons to think that the forthcoming rise in CPI inflation won’t be too great and that... 1st February 2017 · 1 min read
UK Economics Focus Autumn Statement 2016: Creating room for manoeuvre The recent robustness of the economy prompted the Chancellor to make only a modest adjustment to the stance of fiscal policy in his first Autumn Statement. But his new fiscal rules provide room for... 23rd November 2016 · 1 min read
UK Economics Focus Autumn Statement 2016 Preview Despite Chancellor Hammond’s rare opportunity to make a substantial changes to the stance of UK fiscal policy in the Autumn Statement on 23rd November, lingering worries about the outlook for the... 17th November 2016 · 1 min read
UK Economics Focus Can the construction sector dig itself out of trouble? The first raft of economic data covering the post-referendum period has been fairly robust. But not all sectors have been performing well, with the construction sector still in the doldrums. 3rd October 2016 · 1 min read
UK Economics Focus What could the MPC’s “package of measures” consist of The package of policy options the MPC will unveil on 4th August could include rate cuts, the purchase of gilts and corporate bonds, an expansion of the Funding for Lending Scheme (FLS), forward... 2nd August 2016 · 1 min read