The Economic Voice

Women could be locked out of pensions warns the TUC

2012-02-08T11:58:00.001-08:00

The TUC is warning that women on low wages could find themselves locked out of plans to auto enrol workers into pension schemes.

Car smoking ban gets fired up

2012-02-08T11:57:00.001-08:00

A campaign to get parents and carers to stop smoking in cars when with young people has been launched by the Welsh government.

The Falkland Islands are British

2012-02-08T11:56:00.001-08:00

Isn’t it a pity that the Argentine President, Cristina Kirchner, has once again ratcheted up pressure on the Falkland Islanders in the forlorn hope that Britain will somehow cave in and meekly hand the population over to the clutches of her country?

Which government bond is best?

2012-02-08T11:54:00.002-08:00

When looking around the world and at the state of various economies it quickly becomes apparent that some sovereign debt is more risky than others.

Euro finds a little support but it’s all very scrappy still

2012-02-08T11:53:00.000-08:00

Mike Paterson’s daily Forex brief

Well at last we’ve seen a break out of the recent tight ranges on the back of increased hopes of a deal on Greek debt (yawn) and more dovish comments by US Fed Chairman Bernanke.

Read more: http://www.economicvoice.com/euro-finds-a-little-support-but-it%e2%80%99s-all-very-scrappy-still/50027817#ixzz1lp1Pis7B

Is Greece about to leave the Eurozone?

2012-02-07T11:54:00.001-08:00

How many times have we heard from the Eurozone political classes that the EZ is welded together to never be torn asunder? Whatever the hard headed economists and financiers would tell them political will can overcome all became the mantra.

Iran: a new track is needed

2012-02-07T11:53:00.000-08:00

By Israel Rafalovich

There are fundamental differences between the European Union and Iran over its nuclear activities.
In order to confront Iran’s nuclear ambitions the EU must find alternatives to the current negotiations track. It is time to use a new track. What is most needed now is a creative diplomacy with a vision and new ideas as it is probable that there will be more leeway at the diplomatic level.

More of the same as Greek debacle continues

2012-02-07T11:52:00.000-08:00

Mike Paterson’s daily Forex brief

A little bit down, a little bit up and a little bit down again for the Euro as Greece, and the Troika (European Commission, ECB and IMF) still try to hammer out some sort of deal.

Read more: http://www.economicvoice.com/more-of-the-same-as-greek-debacle-continues/50027796#ixzz1ljARBbSL

The Bank of England’s QE could make retirees poorer, warns deVere Group

2012-02-07T11:50:00.001-08:00

Many people on the cusp of retirement are going to be permanently locked into lower pensions as a direct result of the latest Quantitative Easing (QE) strategy, warns Nigel Green, CEO of the deVere Group, the world’s largest financial advisory firm.

We can break out of the hard times says the Green Party

2012-02-07T11:49:00.001-08:00

Two hundred years ago the great writer and social reformer, Charles Dickens, was born and through his work many far reaching improvements were made.

Credit card usage declines

2012-02-06T12:17:00.000-08:00

The traditional place of the credit card as the dominant player in peoples’ credit affairs may be at risk.
The latest ‘Precious Plastic’ report from PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) says that, as consumers find it more difficult to get credit via the normal routes, they are more likely to opt for the less mainstream but growing market of such things as the payday loan and pawnbrokers.

Halifax reports 0.6% rise in average house prices

2012-02-06T12:15:00.000-08:00

We should now be getting used to the ongoing news of the sideways movement in house prices in the UK.

Civil service job churn

2012-02-06T12:13:00.001-08:00

Is there something wrong with the way our country is run if the annual turnover rates of staff in some parts of the civil service are at 25%-30%?

Euro under pressure again after impressive US jobs data and Greek debt concerns

2012-02-06T12:12:00.001-08:00

Mike Paterson’s daily Forex brief

The US Non-Farm Payrolls data didn’t disappoint on Friday, either in detail or effect. A much better than expected number of +243k, compared to the best estimates of 170k that I mentioned, came in with the unemployment rate at 8.3%, the best since Feb 2009.

Forget wind turbines, let’s look at the Windstalk

2012-02-06T12:10:00.000-08:00

Just as the government is looking at ways of reducing its financial commitment to the solar power panel feed in tariff, over 100 Tory MPs are now calling for the wind farm subsidy to also be cut.

India does not want our aid

2012-02-06T12:08:00.001-08:00

While we in the UK are told how important it is to keep giving aid to India, it turns out that India doesn’t want the money.

EU-China: A Rocky Ride Ahead

2012-02-06T12:07:00.001-08:00

In the last several years, EU-China relations have been turbulent, and the summits have also been marked by tumult. For years, China and Europe have been struggling over trade and tariffs, with Europe claiming the Chinese industry is overtly subsidized.

Two days is a long time in economics

2012-02-06T12:06:00.001-08:00

The past week has seen a mix of gloom and optimism around the UK economy, as is often the case when different data or releases head in different directions. But what was slightly unusual this time around was the stark juxtaposition between two very different news stories.

Markets quiet again ahead of US jobs data frenzy

2012-02-06T12:05:00.000-08:00

Mike Paterson’s daily Forex brief

We’ve seen little of substance in the past 24 hours as traders gear up to go crazy after the usually key moment that is the US Non-Farm Payroll and Unemployment data that arrives to our desks at 13.30 GMT today.

Read more: http://www.economicvoice.com/markets-quiet-again-ahead-of-us-jobs-data-frenzy/50027726#ixzz1ldNG6uM9

Right wing people are less intelligent

2012-02-06T12:03:00.001-08:00

A recent Canadian study claims that people with right wing tendencies are less intelligent than those on the left wing.
Remember the findings that those on the right are more likely to a larger amygdala and those on the left a larger anterior cingulated cortex? With the amygdala being held responsible for fear and other ‘primitive’ emotions. This led to claims that children as young as three could be scanned to see if they were prone to criminal behaviour.

Right to buy scheme will erode social housing availability

2012-02-06T12:02:00.001-08:00

Government proposals for an increase in the discount available for social tenants to buy the homes they live under the right to buy (RTB) scheme fall short of providing a one-for-one replacement for those that are sold says Hometrack.

UK house prices drop in January says Nationwide

2012-02-06T12:01:00.001-08:00

The latest Nationwide house price index shows that the average price af a house fell by 0.2% in January 2012 to stand now at £162,228.

Traders still treading water ahead of key data and Bernanke testimony

2012-02-06T12:00:00.000-08:00

Mike Paterson’s daily Forex brief

Another mixed bag but generally there’s been appetite for risk again with the US $ bearing most of the brunt, ahead of key US non-farm jobs data tomorrow, while equities and gold also find favour.

Read more: http://www.economicvoice.com/traders-still-treading-water-ahead-of-key-data-and-bernanke-testimony/50027706#ixzz1ldLzyhlC

India opts for French jet over the Eurofighter

2012-02-06T11:58:00.001-08:00

In what is being seen as a bit of a kick in the teeth for the UK after it has poured aid into the country, India has selected the French jet fighter offering for final negotiations.

Fred Goodwin was a scapegoat say politicians and business leaders

2012-02-06T11:57:00.001-08:00

Now that the disgraced former head of RBS has had his knighthood removed, claims are surfacing that he was unfairly targeted.