The Australian economy is unique. 35% of the country is practically desert and geographically it is isolated. 98% of its trade is exported by sea. Yet, it has become one of the richest countries in the world. Richer than the UK, France and Germany. From 1991 to 2020, it experienced the world record for the …
The UK economy has undergone a real battering in the past 15 years. For decades, the UK grew around 2% a year, but per capita incomes are now barely increasing. It’s not just about a global downturn, the UK has fallen further behind similar economies like France and Germany on key metrics like income and …
First time buyers have seen Mortgage payments as a share of income rise significantly in the past 2 years, increasing the cost of buying a house. However, the private rented market has been even more problematic. In the past four years, rents have risen 20%, pushing tenants to spend a higher share of income on …
How Short-Termism Is Destroying the UK’s FutureWatch this video on YouTube Back in 2010, when Nick Clegg was asked about nuclear power he said it was pointless because it wouldn’t be ready until 2022. As it happened, 2022 came and went, with an unprecedented surge in global energy prices. Although this was ironic bad luck, …
After the housing crash of 2009, many houses were bought at discount prices by buy to let landlords, and the share of buy to let rose to a record share of the market. But, 2016 was a turning point, with government legislation imposing higher tax rates on landlords in an effort to reverse declining home-ownership …
Ireland can lay claim to be the third richest country in the world. In the 1970s, Ireland was one of the poorest countries in Western Europe, largely agrarian and with real incomes that lagged its neighbour across the Irish Sea. But, then over the next few decades, the Irish economy started to grow faster than …
The current account on the balance of payments measures the inflow and outflow of goods, services, investment incomes and transfer payments. The main components of the current account are: Trade in goods (visible balance) Trade in services (invisible balance), e.g. insurance and services Primary income account – includes – compensation of employees, investment income from …
Faced with a black hole in public finances, the Labour government have announced an end to universal winter fuel allowance for pensioners. It will now be means-tested. It means 9.4 million individual pensioners will lose the £200-£300 a year allowance. It will save the government an estimated £1.6bn a year, which as we shall see …