Archive: Economic Policy

Give viewers shares in the BBC, Jowell urges

Tessa Jowell's proposal would make the 28.8 licence-fee payers into BBC shareholders.

Tessa Jowell proposes making the licence-fee payers into BBC shareholders in order to improve 'accountability and responsiveness'.

Jowell: No-one wants disruption of Olympics

BBC licence fee up 3%

'Job done': Olympics architect Tessa Jowell quits frontline politics

Opinion Former Articles

NASUWT: Public services and economy "outrageously and unnecessarily sacrificed on the altar of coalition economic policy"

"The reason the country is facing a double dip recession is that a key driver of the Government's economic policy has not been about tackling the deficit, but to use the deficit as a smokescreen to pursue the ideologically driven destruction of public services." - Chris Keates, NASUWT. Read more here.

Unite: Government needs ‘plan B’ to avoid dire economic growth forecast

The government risks a continuing economic spiral of decline if it relies solely on the Bank of England’s monetary policies to get the economy back on track, warned Britain’s largest union Unite.

Unite: Latest economic indicators point to the government's complacency

Unite has accused the government of being in a slumber of complacency as new manufacturing and production figures from the ONS (Office for National Statistics) show more bad news for Britain's economy.

PCS: Millionaire Cameron's economic illiteracy causes misery for millions

Commenting ahead of prime minister David Cameron's speech to the Conservative party conference, Public and Commercial Services union general secretary Mark Serwotka said this:

Not going anywhere: Osborne to stay put in both jobs

Osborne will keep both of his jobs, sources confirmed

George Osborne will hold on to both his jobs, sources close to the prime minister confirmed today.

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Dodging the deficit: Spending boost won't appear on balance sheet

The government says the new funding will not damage deficit reduction

The coalition is making £45 billion of finance available as it attempts to jumpstart the economy.

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Government 'loses billions' to bad data policy

Inefficient data policy is costing the government billions, a think tank has claimed.

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Sparks fly as coalition clashes with unions

Manufacturing union GMB's members heckled Vince Cable this morning

Coalition ministers are refusing to back down despite attacks from trade unions on a number of fronts.

IMF comes to Osborne's rescue

George Osborne won't give in to critics over his deficit reduction plan. Photo: www.politicalpictures.co.uk

The negative impact of harsh spending cuts on Britain's economic growth is only "temporary", the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has said.

Time for a Plan B: Economists turn against Osborne

Looking over your shoulder: Economists turn against Osborne.

George Osborne found himself increasingly isolated today as a small army of economists demanded he back down over his deficit reduction plan.

Put brakes on spending cuts, OECD tells Osborne

Time to slow down, according to the OECD's chief economist

The pace of spending cut should be slowed down, a major international thinktank has said.

American food company treats parliament 'with contempt'

Kraft was criticised for closing its Somerdale factory

Kraft, the American food manufacturer whose hostile bid for Cadbury upset many consumers in Britain, has been accused of treating parliament with "contempt".

Brown 'greatest candidate for IMF'

Brown is widely respected in international financial circles

Gordon Brown is the greatest candidate running to become head of the IMF, according to the former president of the World Bank.

TV star to advise on saving the high street

Death of the high street? Local campaigners warn that the recession and large companies are making it impossible for small independent businesses to survive.

The presenter of the Mary Queen of Shops programme has been drafted in to lead a review into the future of the high street.

Economists warn of worst fall in living standards for 30 years

Bad news for shoppers: Living standards are expected to plunge this year

The average British family may be about to experience the worst fall in living standards for 30 years, a respected economics think tank has said.

Osborne 'pigheaded' over economy

George Osborne faces criticism from Unite's Len McCluskey

The chancellor's economic policies are relying too heavily on the private sector, according to Unite's general secretary.

Unions warn of 'sustained war'

A riot policeman looks on as violent protests take place against spending cuts last month

The government should prepare itself for "sustained war" with the trade union movement as austerity Britain starts to bite, leaders have warned.

Economy shakes off double-dip threat

The economy returned to growth in the first three months of 2011 but has failed to reach official expectations, figures show.

Osborne's OBR 'needs to sort out' forecasts

George Osborne set up the OBR shortly after the general election in May.

The Office of Budget Responsibility (OBR) 'needs to sort out' its forecasts, the chair of the Treasury select committee has said.

Lib Dems push for bank reforms as 'arms length' strategy continues

Cable has pushed for retail/investment seperation for several years.

The Liberal Democrats are expected to push for a wholesale adoption of next week's report by the Vickers Banking Commission.

Osborne: Portugal crisis shows we were right

Osborne said the Portugese crisis vindicated the coalition's deficit reduction plan

George Osborne has seized on the crisis in Portugal as a sign that the coalition took the right action when it launched an austerity drive.

Families face 'Black Wednesday'

The beginning of the new tax year will see some of the government's spending cuts begin to bite into family budgets.

Today will be a "Black Wednesday for millions of families across Britain", shadow chancellor Ed Balls has said.

Thatcher 'could only dream' of coalition spending cuts

Labour said the comments show the coalition's spending cuts are politically-motivated.

Margaret Thatcher "could only have dreamt of" the coalition's spending cuts, the climate change minister has said.

London pays the price

A small group of Black Bloc anarchists have stolen the headlines with violent action across central London, after an estimated 250,000 marched peacefully across the capital.