Scotsman.com (Free subscription) | 20 hours ago
CHANCELLOR Alistair Darling is set to target national insurance and inheritance tax in next month's Pre-Budget Report as he looks to plug gaping holes in the public purs
The Grumpy Spindoctor (Free subscription) | yesterday
'Praised by judges for his handling of the economic crisis.' No disrespect intended but.. the Herald Scottish Politician of the Year awards are a bit of a joke. Well, the judges must be having a laugh if they can give John Swinney the Scottish Politician of the year award for his 'handling of the economic recession. Have they forgotten the dogs breakfast that was the Local Income Tax or the SFT? Or...
Matt T (Free subscription) | yesterday
When Harold Wilson said something like that it was obviously a lie. I've commented a few times on the somewhat bizarre return of the 'devaluationists' in economic commentary, led by Ambrose Evans Pritchard, who I seems to believe that every country in the world can, and should, devalue at the same time. But anyway, the point of this piece was I just bought four bottles of Champagne from the local off-licence...
Reflections (Free subscription) | 19/11/2009
Dear Alistair Darling, Chancellor of the Exchequer, We call on you to draw up a plan for a windfall tax on banks The tax-payer spent billions saving the banks, placing a major strain on public finances If banks can now make billions in profit and award huge bonuses they can afford to start paying back the money spent to save the sector The entire banking sector benefited from the Government propping...
The Telegraph (Free subscription) | 19/11/2009
Alistair Darling is losing the argument over how to deal with Britain's terrifying public debt almost as quickly as the deficit itself is widening. The fact that our public finances deteriorated nearly twice as fast as expected last month means we can't wait any longer for the Government to take action.
The Guardian (Free subscription) | 19/11/2009
Richard Lambert says even the Conservatives are not ambitious enough about cutting the Britain's deficit Richard Lambert can see for himself the hole into which public money is being poured. Outside the CBI's offices in London's Centre Point, excavation work is under way on the £16bn Crossrail project to link Heathrow to the City and Canary Wharf. The leader of Britain's premier employers' organisation...
Paul Owen (Free subscription) | 19/11/2009
By and large the media has given a resounding thumbs down to the Queen's Speech yesterday. Most have seen it for what it is: a desperate last gamble by a cynical and hapless Prime Minister who is out of ideas and nearly out of time. And its getting worse for Brown. Labour's own peers are savaging one of the key policies on care home provision. Watch while the government slowly and not very imperceptibly...
The Guardian (Free subscription) | 19/11/2009
Companies are still having trouble getting finance, and that represents a big handicap to a strong and sustained recovery Dire public finances. A fresh contraction in lending to hard-pressed businesses. And a warning to Alistair Darling from the west's leading think tank that he should avoid pre-election giveaways in next month's pre-budget report. But cheer up. It's not all bad news. In the high...
The Guardian (Free subscription) | 19/11/2009
As budget deficit hits £11.4bn, economic thinktank expects a weaker upturn for Britain over next two years The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development today warned Alistair Darling that he has no scope to afford pre-election giveaways, as official figures revealed that last month was the worst October on record for the public finances. With the chancellor putting the finishing...
Financial Times (Free subscription) | 19/11/2009
October's public borrowing figures will make dismal reading for Alistair Darling ahead of next month's pre-Budget report, as debt soars by £11.4bn in the month
The Guardian (Free subscription) | 19/11/2009
National debt soars to 59.2% of GDP, the highest since records began in the 1970s Britain's budget deficit blew out to the worst ever reading for an October last month, suffering a much bigger than expected shortfall of £11.4bn, official data showed today. The Office for National Statistics also said that the national debt soared to 59.2% of gross domestic product in October, the highest since...
The Guardian (Free subscription) | 18/11/2009
Voluntary compliance will not work, City grandee tells chancellor Banks will be forced to reveal more details about the pay of their "high end" staff under legislation to be unveiled in the new financial services bill which will be published tomorrow. Sir David Walker, the City grandee conducting a review of corporate governance in the banking sector, warned the chancellor that his attempts...
The Guardian (Free subscription) | 18/11/2009
Provides statutory basis for reining in government's spiralling deficit and debt The government's new fiscal responsibility bill will provide a "firm and binding statutory basis" for reining in the government's spiralling deficit and debt in the wake of the credit crunch and recession, the Queen said. The bill will commit the government to halving the deficit – which is heading for...
Times Online (Free subscription) | 18/11/2009
Tensions have surfaced within the Cabinet over a decision by Alistair Darling to rule out a formal spending review alongside next month’s Pre-Budget Report The Times has learnt.
Scotsman.com (Free subscription) | 18/11/2009
HOLD fire on the recovery celebrations. Chancellor Alistair Darling may be blowing up balloons in preparation for a new year party to mark the end of the recession, but the Sc
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