The Government’s preferred measure of inflation, the Consumer Price Index,or CPI, recorded a 1.9% rise in March from 12 months before – just 0.1% below the Bank of England¹s inflation target. This means the Old …
What’s really driving inflation
The misery of Gordon Brown
There’s a real sign-of the-times posting on online auction site Ebay this week. Someone (simonsteve1981 is his log-in name, but we’ll just call him Simon) is selling everything he owns. “I wish I didn’t have …
Are we seeing the return of inflation?
Why does inflation matterIt matters to investors and savers because when inflation is high, it quickly erodes the true value of investments and savings, and it matters to borrowers because it reduces the real value …
Brown: prudent manager or tax meddler?
How long has Brown been in office? Last Tuesday, Gordon Brown completed 2,601 days as Chancellor of the Exchequer, making him the longest continuous occupier of the office for 180 years. Since 1997, Brown has …
Why won’t the Tories promise tax cuts?
At this week’s Tory Party Conference, leader Michael Howard and Shadow Chancellor Oliver Letwin have been reluctant to promise tax cuts. Why? asks Simon Nixon. Are the Tories committed to cutting taxes? No. Oliver Letwin, …
Who will pay for Sir Humphrey’s pension?
The pensions crisis means that many private sector workers are going to face a miserable old age. But public sector workers have no such worries… not yet, anyway. Simon Wilson reports Who gets the best …