UK News
Insights from the UK and beyond
The private sector vs. definitions of fairness
– Ingrid Smith is Business Planning Editor, Reuters Consumer Television –
Sitting in the auditorium of the London School of Economic’s Old Theatre earlier this month, I listened to Lord Turner pose the question – in rich societies is there a clear correlation between increased wealth and human well being?
An apt question indeed from the chairman of the soon-to-be-defunct UK Financial Services Authority, in light of the UK coalition government’s austerity review.
On the international stage, the OECD has described the spending review as “tough, necessary and courageous.”
BoE’s King “doesn’t do sex appeal”
Bank of England Governor Mervyn King was on good form when he addressed the Royal Society – Britain’s oldest scientific discussion club – on the vexing issue of communicating complex forecasts to the great unwashed.
Aside from his usual moan about the media’s desire to reduce the BoE’s beautiful but baffling ‘fan charts’ of inflation forecasts to one or two numbers, he made a rare and welcome admission that in past years the central bank had not done as well as it could have to flag up the risk that a financial crisis was about to happen.
A Thomson Reuters Newsmaker with Gordon Brown
You can follow our minute-by-minute updates, watch a live stream of the PM’s speech and send us your comments during the event, all via our live blog. Live coverage will start at 0830 GMT — join us then.
Does Cameron have the X-Factor?
David Cameron was not the only young contender appearing in Brighton this weekend. While the Conservative leader was addressing activists in a seafront hotel, the fresh young faces from the latest series of the X-Factor were tuning up for a tour date at the Conference Centre a couple of doors along the road.
Cameron is of course engaged in his own struggle for public affection with Gordon Brown and Labour. And what had looked at one stage like a coronation has now turned into a battle royal for the crown.
Hung parliament haunts Conservatives
A once unthinkable prospect is striking fear into the hearts of the Conservative Party faithful as they gather for their last conference before the British election — that the party could fall short of winning a parliamentary majority.
After months of big opinion poll leads, the opposition Conservatives looked set fair to win the election, expected in May, ending Labour’s 13-year grip on power.
No coalitions for Nick Clegg?
This is the received wisdom: a hung parliament is good news for the Liberal Democrats, because it leaves them, as the third-largest party, holding the balance of power. LibDem leader Nick Clegg will be courted by both sides and will decide whether Labour or Conservatives form the next government with him as part of a coalition administration.
But Clegg doesn’t see it that way. Until recently he wouldn’t even discuss what might happen in the event of an inconclusive vote that left either the Conservatives or Labour as the largest party but with too few seats to form a government alone.
from The Great Debate UK:
Send your questions to Alistair Darling
Do you have a question you would like to ask Chancellor Alistair Darling? Now is your chance.
At 1:30pm British time on Wednesday, October 21, Reuters is hosting an exclusive Web 2.0 interview with Darling and we want you to send us your questions to put to the top man from the Treasury.
Snow event?
When in Rome . . .
As I watched the snow fall gently from London skies on Sunday night, I asked an acquaintance if I would have to go to work the next day.
My Canadian “snow radar” — fine-tuned from living in the snowy cities of Toronto, Ottawa and Halifax — was telling me that there wasn’t going to be much accumulation, but given the regular daily London transit delays in fair weather during the rush hour, I had a gleeful feeling a “snow day” might be in store.
Has Brown lost the Spring in his step?
Is the Labour Party going to regret not hosting a Spring Party Conference this year?
Yes, it is going to save them a lot of cash, and Prime Minister Gordon Brown has enough to worry about ahead of the G20 financial crisis summit in Britain in April.
In Britain – The week in 7 pictures
Saturday: A worker changes a sign in the window of the Woolworths store in Ashby de la Zouch in central England on December 27, 2008. Woolworths collapsed into administration in November and its administrators said earlier in December that all its stores would close by Jan. 5, with the loss of 27,000 jobs, unless a last-minute buyer could be found. REUTERS/Darren Staples
Sunday: A pro-Palestinian demonstrator waves a muddy boot during a protest near the Israeli Embassy in London on December 28, 2008, against the Israeli strikes on Gaza. REUTERS/Luke MacGregor
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The Wall
