Do you remember the days when you can afford to buy a house with a modest income and small deposit? I don’t. I’m middle aged, but the last time house prices were affordable, I was trying to buy football stickers rather than a 3 bed semi. 10 Reasons You Can’t Afford to buy a House?Watch …
In the last quarter of 2024, the UK had the lowest rate of economic growth amongst advanced economies. Yet it also had the highest Central Bank interest rate. 4.75%. It is higher even than the Federal Reserve, despite US growth being almost double the UK in recent years. Is Bank of England Pushing Economy into …
Things can appear pretty bleak. We have warnings of a collapsing economy, record waiting lists, crumbling infrastructure and rising homelessness. The government might have changed, but the problems seem the same. Wages have stagnated and young people have low expectations of their future. It wasn’t always like this. In the post-war period, real wages were …
How Ireland Overtook the UK economyWatch this video on YouTube In the post-war period the newly independent Republic of Ireland still lagged the richer UK economy across the sea. It was a largely agragrian economy, with wages 40% the level of the UK and widespread poverty. But, over the next few decades, the Irish …
There’s been no honeymoon for the new Labour government. Since the election in July, UK growth has continued its long-term trend of barely existing. Recent data disappointed analysts with output falling in the last two months. Monthly data is noisy, but it comes amidst business warning of a weaker labour market, with higher national insurance, …
2024 has seen UK house prices seamingly defy gravity once more, with prices rising back close to the all-time peak. If you bought an average house at the start of 2020, you would be sitting on capital gains of £53,000. A 25% rise. What Will happen to UK House Prices in 2025?Watch this video on …
Over the past 35 years, rents have risen faster than inflation. But, even as rents reach record levels, they are forecast to keep growing. The latest surveys show a continued mismatch between rental demand and rental supply meaning another year of inflation-busting rent rises. The problem is we have such a mismatch of supply and …
We Can’t Afford a Trump Trade WarWatch this video on YouTube In 1930, the US economy entered a deep recession and President Hoover responded by passing the Smoot Hawley tariff bill which saw average US tariffs almost double. The aim was to help US manufacturers from foreign competition. But, the bill was a disaster, …