'If you want a strong pound, it has to be for the right reasons'
The strength of sterling is good news for travellers and reflects belief in the UK's recovery. But with world markets already unnerved by conflict, it could hardly be worse for exportersThe current...
View ArticleBrave new world beckons as Rochdale strives to reverse decades of decline
Can hi-tech enterprises make home town of Gracie Fields and the Rochdale Pioneers a mini Silicon Valley?It all kicks off not long after the start of the rugby league game between Rochdale Hornets and...
View ArticleFor Scotland, the independence debate is about more than the economy, stupid...
Salmond and Darling will batter viewers with data in Tuesdays TV debate, but in the end the heart will outweigh the walletIn Scotland, if you doubted the stakes, wait for Tuesdays televised...
View ArticleReducing immigration would slow UK economy and lead to tax rises
Thinktank report results from modelling of Tory migration targets: from hundreds of thousands to tens of thousandsReducing immigration into the UK will have strong negative effects on the economy and...
View ArticleResponsible capitalism is nonsense the left must offer a real alternative |...
It is unlikely Ed Milibands call will refresh political debate when voters recognise responsible capitalism for the doublespeak it isEd Milibands challenge to the manufactured, the polished, the...
View ArticleMarkets tense after Portugal bank bailout- business live
Bad bank to house toxic assets of Portugals Banco Espírito SantoHSBC complain of unprecedented regulationBoEs Spencer Dale quits to become BPs chief economistUK housebuilding grows at fastest pace in...
View ArticleWill David Cameron play James Callaghan in the 2015 election? | Peter Kellner
Conservatives look back fondly at the 1979 election. But the winter of discontent is a warning against prime ministerial hubrisAs they head for their holidays, senior Conservatives are worrying that...
View ArticleEast coast mainline pays taxpayers £1bn sparking fresh reprivatisation fury
Franchise returned record £235m in final year as a state company but Department for Transport says decision is finalAnger is growing over the return of the east coast mainline to private hands after it...
View ArticleThe privatisation scam rolls on and now capitalism is eating itself |...
I am a great admirer of the work of Cambridge economist Ha-Joon Chang but his claim that privatisation was halted under Labour (End this privatisation dogma, 1 August) is an over-simplification too...
View ArticleConservatives step up charm offensive in north of England
Chancellor to promise infrastructure cash and greater regional devolution as he seeks to woo voters outside of Tory heartlandsGeorge Osborne will continue his attempted charm offensive aimed at the...
View ArticleWhy the One North transport proposals make my heart sink | Ally Fogg
Englands northern cities dont need to copy the worst habits of the south-east to become an economic powerhouseAccording to a popular online journey planner, I could at this moment leave my front door...
View ArticleSick of this market-driven world? You should be | George Monbiot
The self-serving con of neoliberalism is that it has eroded the human values the market was supposed to emancipateTo be at peace with a troubled world: this is not a reasonable aim. It can be achieved...
View ArticleBank of England likely to hold interest rates at 0.5%, say economists
Poll of experts believes at least one MPC member will end unanimous agreement on rates but that hike is unlikely this yearThe Bank of England looks likely to start the ball rolling towards its first...
View ArticleCities need money and power to rise again | @guardianletters
The chancellors announcement that the regeneration of the north of England would be central to his autumn statement (Report, 6 August) is a promising escalation in the political duelling over this...
View ArticleWhy a little economic growth won't see an end to the pain in Spain
Politicians hail signs of economic recovery, but others foresee little change for the country's jobless millionsJust streets away from Madrid's only three-Michelin-starred restaurant, peeling buildings...
View ArticleYou can tell it's silly season: Boris and the Eurosceptics are out in force
The mayor's 'coming out' as a candidate and a sceptic reinforces a dangerously cavalier attitude to Britain's position in the EUTerrible things may be happening in the Middle East and parts of Africa,...
View ArticleWould a citizens income be better than our benefits system?
Phasing out tax relief and allowances may reduce the budget deficit while also adapting to the growing informal economy, writes Larry ElliottThe Bank of England has been scratching its head for months...
View ArticleJulie Bishop seeks to boost Australia-Asean ties video
Australian foreign minister Julie Bishop has co-hosted a meeting between Australia and the Association of South East Asian Nations (Asean) in an effort to boost ties between Australia and countries in...
View ArticleMobile phone companies have failed it's time to nationalise them | Owen Jones
It may sound like off-the-wall leftiness, but there are clear and convincing arguments for a nationalised mobile phone networkNationalisation is a taboo among the political and media elite, its mere...
View ArticleEnding tariffs on green goods will show free trade can fight climate change
James Bacchus: The supposed choice between economics and environment is false, tariff cuts on green goods are a good moveOur economic future cannot be separated from our environmental future. Advocates...
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