Wind farms seek to offer an environmentally sustainable source of energy that will help reduce our dependence on non-renewal fossil fuels. However, this clean and safe source of energy is controversial with many opposed to their use, often on grounds of aesthetics or lack of efficiency. This looks at pros and cons of wind farms. …
How to judge George Osborne’s and David Cameron’s economic record since May 2010? They inherited an economy recovering from a deep recession, high unemployment and large budget deficit. It was a difficult economic circumstance, but at the same time you might expect a strong economic recovery as there was much unused capacity and potential for …
In 2007, EU economies, on the surface, seemed to be doing relatively well – with positive economic growth and low inflation. Public debt was often high, but (apart from Greece) it appeared to be manageable assuming a positive trend in economic growth. However, the global credit crunch (see: Credit crunch explained) changed many things. Impact …
How will UK house prices be affected by Brexit – in both the short term and long-term? In the past few decades, the UK property market has been characterised by a long-term rise in real house prices. UK house prices have risen faster than inflation – especially in London and South. In fact, we could …
At the 1992 General election, the Conservative Party won a stunning electoral victory – despite being in the middle of a self-imposed recession. Many point to this as an example of how the press can influence national debate and influence elections. The 1991/92 recession was a classic example of a boom and bust. It wasn’t …
The UK saw net migration of 330,000 in the last year. If net migration were to fall significantly – how would this affect the UK economy? Net migration is generally difficult to predict, but there are good reasons to assume this is likely to fall in future years. Net migration will likely fall because: Climate …
The EU has many achievements of which it can rightly claim. Long period of peace and prosperity, unrivalled in European history. Secured transition to democracy for countries such as Spain and post-Communist countries in Eastern Europe Free trade and free movement has helped improve economic growth and living standards. Working on European wide problems, such …
The ‘pension time bomb’ refers to how demographic changes will cause a rise in the percentage of people entitled to a pension (both state and private). An ageing population leads to smaller workforce, more spending on pensions (and healthcare) and could require higher taxes to meet spending commitments. . Some argue this is a serious …