Nicola Sturgeon’s resignation as Scotland’s First Minister has triggered fervid speculation about votes going to Labour – another nail in Tory hopes of electoral recovery. Things seldom play out as expected – the Scots are a troublesome lot!
The UK is about to commit Economic Suicide – Austerity spending into the teeth of a raging (but short-term) inflation gale, and looming recession. Today will cost the UK future growth, loss of soft power and influence, and leave the nation further deflated, broken and ultimately divided. But political and economic incompetence leaves few alternatives.
The Bank of England laid out bleak scenarios for the UK economy – but the outlook and long term future will be worse because the Government has “straight-jacketed” its budget options down to Austerity – which will lead to economic disaster. There is an alternative!
Budget U-Turns and a P45 should take the edge of the UK’s Financial Woes for a few days, but the big question is what comes next, and who should iterate the New New Conservative Thang. It looks like we have Adults Back in the Room!
There are lessons from the public humiliation of Kwasi Kwarteng for governments and corporates around the globe. If we are going to address the looming economic crises – then governments, central banks and financial instutions need to be on the same page.
The outlook for the UK looks increasingly grim. There are few reasons to hope a new government can reverse the mounting consumer fears, stagflation and the growing sense of decline.
The tragedy of Boris Johnson continues. The question is not why did they leave, but why have others remained in the bunker with him. Just what has Boris promised the new Chancellor, and does what is good for Boris coincide with what is good for the UK?
Boris apologised – but is it too late? Resolving the innumerable crises facing the UK requires political focus, and less of the politically expedient indignation being displayed in parliament. It won’t make anything better, threatens further destabilisation, and diminish the UK’s global competitiveness..
The risks of Plan B and a further Covid Lockdown are multiplying. It will clearly impact markets, but the real economic effects of Covid combined with energy costs, supply chains and bleak company earnings forecasts may be pushing us towards stagflation anyway.
Across the Occidental Economy there seems a trend towards political failure as polarization, sleaze and opportunism takes hold, even as electorates suffer from increasing inequality and declining prospects. As the threat of post-pandemic inflation rises, the ingredients are all there for further instability and labour strife. It’s all happening as the geo-political spheres of influence between China and the West are being redrawn.
