The UK Economy

My old pal, from my 12 years at t1ps.com, Robert Sutherland Smith is a cheery old fellow (he is 157) with a dry sense of humour. A noted enthusiast for early morning swimming on Hampstead Heath I imagine that he has a few spare hours on his hands right now. Surely he cannot be swimming […]

When the markets are plunging you tend to read quite a bit about Evil Knievil in the press. Every graduate trainee journalist wants to know what the UK’s best known short seller has to say. When markets are rising as they are now, he tends to fade from view somewhat. Of course you can get […]

Motor giant Ford has signed an open letter to Call Me Dave saying how disastrous it would be if the UK left the Evil Empire. Quite why the words of the boss of a foreign corporation should carry any weight at all escapes me but to be lectured by this company on the benefits of […]

So Stansted Airport will soon have a new owner. What now for the passengers? What is in it for the public? It was only a matter of time for the current owner, Heathrow Airport Holdings Limited (formerly known as BAA Limited) to give up London’s and UK’s third and fourth busiest airport, respectively, following a […]

Car manufacturers BMW and Ford have warned the UK against leaving the European Union. Two of the UK’s leading car manufacturers, BMW and Ford, have warned Prime Minister David Cameron that the consequences of the United Kingdom leaving the European Union would be “devastating”. Stephen Odell, Ford’s chief executive in Europe, argued that all “countries […]

Retailers entered the holiday season with dreams of sugar plums dancing in their heads. Unfortunately, it was just a dream.  With a 0.1% decline in retail sales year on year, for retailers it was more like “not a creature was buying, not even a blouse.” Whether analysts called it expectations, projections, or hopes, reality simply […]

Trading in HMV stock suspended on the London Stock Exchange ahead of HMV Group appointing administrators. Troubled UK retailer entertainment HMV (LSE:HMV) has announced it will appoint administrators Deloitte after being “unable to reach a position where it feels able to continue to trade outside of insolvency protection”. In recent days suppliers, including major music […]

It is amazing what cobblers some folk spout. HMV (LSE:HMV) has gone bust. It follows hard on the heels of Jessops which headed to retail heaven earlier this week. Chuka Umunna, Labour’s Shadow Business Secretary, called HMV a “national institution” and described the news as “deeply worrying” Yeah right. What next Chuka? Blame it all […]

Are you getting a pay rise this year? Not many folks are. Some like those on welfare are, in real terms, getting a cut. Pensioners are worse off thanks in part to low interest rates. The Government needs to slash its spending. To sack people. To make them unemployed. As Call Me Dave said “we […]

Virgin Group Chairman Sir Richard Branson and WPP CEO Sir Martin Sorrell back UK Membership of the European Union UK business leaders have signed a letter warning Prime Minister David Cameron from seeking a whole renegotiation of the country’s membership of the European Union (EU). Supported by Virgin Group Chairman Sir Richard Branson, BT Group […]