Privatisation: benefits are not assured and public are sceptical, history shows
Selling public assets remains a politically fraught endeavour, but help may be at hand from an unlikely sourceGreg Jericho
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G4S and Serco failing to house asylum seekers properly, says watchdog
Government aiming to recover £7m from two companies for poor performance under Compass outsourcing schemeOutsourcing companies G4S and Serco are failing to provide adequate housing for vulnerable...
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Manufacturing and construction figures show fragility of economic recovery
Latest ONS figures reveal that Britain's economy is increasingly unbalanced and continues to depend on stimulusManufacturing flat. Construction down. The latest data sits oddly with the upbeat surveys...
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Chris Riddell on the chancellor's latest call for further sacrificesChris Riddell
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Forward guidance won't move the election date, Mr Osborne
If recovery goes too fast and the Bank of England is forced to raise rates, will the coalition regret fixing the poll for 2015?I first encountered Mark Carney on a funicular railway in Davos in 2009,...
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George Osborne's hard choices will only hurt the young and poor | Nick Cohen
As his speech last week made clear, George Osborne is threatening to transform Britain into a country governed for the needs of the fewGeorge Osborne spoke last Monday before an audience that must have...
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Let's see some babyboomer rage about Generation Jobless | Erica Buist
Having adult children living at home is a huge burden. The pension triple lock is hardly compensation for the collateral damage of the youth crisisIf I were a babyboomer, I'd be furious. That might...
View ArticleInterest rates cut unlikely economists say, as data shows rise in home loans
Home loan approvals rise 1.1% in November, Australian Bureau of Statistics figures show
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Support for Labour shrinks as faith in recovery grows, ICM poll finds
Labour drops two points to 35% - three points ahead of Tories – as more people express optimism about their financial positionSupport for Labour is sinking as faith in the UK's economic recovery...
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Ed Miliband vows to give hope to 'squeezed' middle class
Labour leader says his party can overcome 'gnawing anxiety' with plans for education and house buildingEd Miliband has made a direct appeal to middle class voters by saying that Labour is best placed...
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Inflation finally falls to Bank of England's 2% target
Surprise drop in December hits mark for first time in four years, helped by a smaller rise in food prices and early sales discountsInflation unexpectedly fell in December, returning to the Bank of...
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On-target inflation is good for Osborne, but only modestly good for rest of us
The chancellor can say his decisions are paying off a year before elections, but for the public prices are still rising faster than earningsGood for George Osborne. Good for Mark Carney. And moderately...
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2015 general election: it's the economy, stupid! (Well, maybe not …)
Pollsters are no longer sure the twin pillars of economic competence and consumer confidence can deliver the winnerTo those who believe that modern electoral politics can be summed up in one...
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Adrian Bailey points to £10bn black hole in student loans sell-off
Chairman of Commons business committee says promise to fund 60,000 extra university places through sale is unrealisticMPs have questioned George Osborne's claim that he will raise £12bn from the sale...
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In Birmingham's Selly Oak, the catalyst for debate is Benefits Street
Controversial C4 programme rather than Ed Miliband's thoughts on the squeezed middle class start the discussionsFrom the student-heavy cafes on the bustling Bristol Road to the red-brick shopping...
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Who exactly are Ed Miliband's squeezed middle class?
Research suggests membership depends on personal perceptions as well as incomesDo you listen to classical music, live in the country and socialise with a broad range of people? Or do you live in a...
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Ed Miliband: the big squeeze | Editorial
It's a smart move of Mr Miliband to recognise that the squeezed middle now describes pretty well the whole middle classEd Miliband is certainly consistent. Three years and four months ago, newly...
View ArticleGeorge Osborne calls for European Union reform – video
George Osborne discusses possible changes to the EU constitution on Wednesday in what is being seen as an ultimatum on Britain's EU membership
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Five questions for Ed Miliband on banks and bonuses
Key points to put to the Labour leader over his proposal to cap state-owned RBS bonuses and other banking reforms1 What problem is Ed Miliband trying to solve by capping RBS bonuses at 100% of...
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UK will miss £1tn-export target without extra government help, warn MPs
Exports will not double by 2020 unless coalition steps up efforts to assist smaller firms secure new overseas markets, says PACThe government will miss its target of doubling exports to £1 trillion by...
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