Ever since the Brexit vote, financial markets have had an uneasy relationship with the UK. The pound fell sharply after the vote to leave the European Union in June 2016, which surprised many in the City, and since then, UK financial markets have been volatile, trying to price in the consequences of this decision.
Continue readingTag Archives: Brexit
Bank of England ignores the elephant in the room: Brexit
The Bank of England has ignored inflation for so long that is now clearly behind the curve, and getting more and more desperate to catch up.
But the central bank is in danger of scuppering its own purpose by ignoring another big change to the economy: Brexit.
Continue readingFuel shortages mark the beginning of Brexit woes
The queues for petrol in the UK are perhaps the most important post-Brexit moment for Boris Johnson and for those who followed his advice and voted to leave the European Union.
Continue readingConsumer price inflation or house price inflation? UK has to choose
The perfect storm is brewing for UK inflation. Boris Johnson and his government will not admit it, but their choice of a hard Brexit will exacerbate price rises, on top of the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.
This could put the Bank of England in the unenviable position of having to choose which bubble to burst: consumer prices, or house prices.
Continue readingEurope plans to regulate against fake news
More proof of the huge role played by social media in spreading dangerous misinformation occurred last week, when the government of Singapore was forced to order Facebook and Twitter to publish a correction on an issue related to Covid-19.
Continue readingMore proof of the huge role played by social media in spreading dangerous misinformation occurred last week, when the government of Singapore was forced to order Facebook and Twitter to publish a correction on an issue related to Covid-19.
Continue readingCounting the costs of Brexit starts with London
For whoever wants to see the real-life results of giving in to populism, the UK’s case is a fascinating one. Counting the costs of Brexit is only beginning, but already the picture is a gloomy one.
Continue readingThe UK should stop subsidising house prices post-Brexit
Forget Covid-19 and Brexit. The question to which most people in the UK would want an uncertain answer is what will happen to house prices in 2021.
Why Brexit is not ‘done’
Prime Minister Boris Johnson will surely say that he got “Brexit done”, as he promised. However, in a sense, Brexit is only just beginning.
Was Dominic Cummings pushed to save the pound?
The abrupt fall from grace of Dominic Cummings, the much-admired and much-loathed adviser to UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, has sparked all sorts of theories as to what was behind it, and with good reason.
Cummings’ actions have been divisive and often controversial, starting with his choice of “misfits and weirdos” to replace civil servants whom he sacked unceremoniously, to the famous drive he took across the country while both he and his wife were ill with Covid-19 and a national lockdown was in place.
Dominic Cummings makes the UK look bad in Brexit talks
Just like he “urged everyone to find closure” regarding Brexit following his victory in elections last year, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson last week urged everyone to “move on” from the Dominic Cummings saga. But just like then, it is easier said than done.