Tag Archives: election

They have been weighed, measured and found wanting…….decision day tomorrow

The final canvassing surrounding the UK election takes place today; after three television debates, the unfortunate comments by Gordon Brown and the tactical voting issue, the main political parties realise that a “hung parliament” could be the outcome on Friday morning. The electorate knows that the UK is in financial trouble and that no matter who they vote for there will be public spending cuts, tax increases and possibly benefit reductions. Although some voters have a lifelong allegiance with one party this time around there is no guarantee, but many voters look at the headline policies and think “how will they impact me” and not “what is best for the country”. It is hoped that the turnout will be higher this time with an increase in younger voters but whatever the outcome, there is a long hard climb back for the UK to get out of the national debt hole. Is there an 0800 number we can call?

UK Interest Rates, GDP revision and Sterling takes a “pounding”

The Bank of England kept interest rates at a record low of 0.5% for the 12th consecutive month on Thursday, a decision widely expected as any rise in the cost of borrowing could damage the UK’s fragile economic recovery. The bank has not pumped any more money into the economy under its quantitative easing (QE) but may have to restart its asset-buying programme, (QE), if the economic outlook deteriorates, but many analysts are predicting monetary tightening later this year. It appears that the “tensions that underlay the build-up of large world imbalances have not been resolved” and the UK’s largest export market, the euro zone economy, has stalled.

Despite the upward revision to GDP in the fourth quarter of last year, to 0.3% from an estimate of 0.1%, the economy remains weak. Businesses are still under serious pressure and the threat of a double-dip recession is more serious in the near future than risks of higher inflation.

The pound took a pounding last week and suffered its biggest one-day fall for more than a year amid the prospect of a hung Parliament, after the election mooted to be in early May this year. There are fears that this will prevent swift and decisive action being taken over Britain’s public finances. Sterling fell to under $1.50 for the first time in ten months and today closed at $1.51. Against the Euro it is only €1.11 and has remained at this level for some time, despite debt issues in Greece and Portugal putting pressure on the Euro.