Falling oil prices add to the chances of deflation, of course, but consumers do not tend to hold off filling up their tanks because they think petrol will be cheaper next week. Instead, they fill up more often and travel farther as a result. Usually there is a direct correlation between cheap oil and economic growth. Most experts predicted a short, sharp battle between the Saudis and the US shale producers. But with demand staying flat, according to the International Energy Agency, we could be in for a long war. ...read

Private savers should have their eyes on values in five or 10 years' time, not the day to day fluctuations of the FTSE 100, which are dictated by the hair-trigger mentality of traders. The chart on the far right uses data going back 50 years to show the probability of making a gain from the UK stock market over long and short-term stints. ...read

Ivan Glasenberg, the chief executive of Glencore, is a long way from the poorhouse, but losing around £1.2billion from the paper value of his holding was not part of the plan when he floated the Swiss-based trader and miner in 2011. He has at least always had his money where his mouth is and has not sold or borrowed against his substantial shareholding. But although he may take a long-term view on his multi-billion paper losses, he will also be aware that it is painful for other investors. ...read

The Chancellor succumbed to pressure to reduce the levy from international banks HSBC and Standard Chartered, that were irked at having to shell out heavily on their overseas assets. The surcharge, however, will hit challengers such as Virgin, along with building societies, which are not keen to be lumped in with the banks. ...read

The chief executive of Bovis Homes, which reported its results yesterday, remarked that the typical price of one of his company's dwellings has gone up by 10 per cent to £264,200. Now that price tag might sound quite reasonable if you are an established homeowner, living in London or a desirable part of the South East. ...read

Britain has some of the best environmental conditions for renewables in the world, with strong wind, solar, tidal and wave resources. We can take a balanced approach to energy generation, prioritising research and development, maximising flexibility as we move towards renewable energy targets. ...read

The doomsday scenario is that a destabilising currency war could break out: a race to the bottom for currencies and markets worldwide in a bid to undercut a potential tide of cheap Chinese exports. Devaluation will affect companies selling goods to China, too, including plenty of British ones. ...read

Once again the chairman of the FCA, former senior KPMG partner John Griffith-Jones, finds himself in a highly embarrassing position. His former firm has the distinct dishonour of having been auditors to the mismanaged Co-op Bank, collapsed bank HBOS, allegedly corrupt World Cup organisers Fifa and Quindell. An honourable chairman would have packed his bag and crept out of FCA headquarters long ago. ...read

A move up from the past six year's emergency interest rates is a crucial part of returning the economy to health. Super Thursday - as today's Bank of England festival for interest rate geeks has been dubbed - may deliver a hint that is finally on the cards. ...read

Once again the chairman of the FCA, former senior KPMG partner John Griffith-Jones, finds himself in a highly embarrassing position. His former firm has the distinct dishonour of having been auditors to the mismanaged Co-op Bank, collapsed bank HBOS, allegedly corrupt World Cup organisers Fifa and Quindell. An honourable chairman would have packed his bag and crept out of FCA headquarters long ago. ...read

Criticism of George Osborne's sale of a 5.4 per cent stake in Royal Bank of Scotland at 330p for a £1billion loss is misplaced. February of this year, when the stock stood at 405p, may have looked a more propitious moment, but at that stage the election was in full swing and the Coalition dared not risk the political fallout. The critical point to make about the current share sale, and future auctions, is that if eventually the taxpayer does end up a loser it should never happen again. ...read

At first blush it would seem entirely sensible that HSBC now wants to refocus on Asia, which produced two-thirds of its profits and is growing far faster than Europe and the Americas. But if it is quality of earnings that counts, then HSBC's first half results look less alluring. ...read

One issue that has remained unchanged since the early twentieth century is the difficulty UK businesses face in accessing finance. All too often, we see our fastest growing, most dynamic companies - those with the potential to become global champions - reaching a plateau or selling up because they can't get the capital they need to grow. ...read

George Osborne is apparently champing at the bit to start selling the Government's stake in Royal Bank of Scotland. Rumour has it he may even sell off a few billion pounds worth of shares this week. But I hope he is not so eager that he jumps the gun. I have long been in favour of disposing of the State's 78 per cent stake in RBS sooner rather than later. ...read

Customers who have been mis-sold PPI could go through the process themselves relatively simply and receive 100 per cent of the compensation. There is no need for these cold-calling, ambulance-chasing, thoroughly unscrupulous middlemen, and it is surely time now to set a deadline for new claims to draw a line under the affair. ...read

Brent crude is trading at $53.90 and there is a possibility that the market could soon be flooded with Iranian oil, in the wake of the recent Tehran-Washington nuclear deal. Shell and Centrica, coming at it from very different places, recognise this reality and are taking a fresh look at exploration and production. ...read

The problem for McFarlane and whoever he selects as the next chief executive of Barclays is how to square the circle? Barclays needs an investment bank which adheres to the scrupulous ethical standards of the post-crisis era, is valued by clients for its advisory, fundraising and trading skills but avoids distorting bonuses which encourage poor behaviour. ...read

What do the following three deals have in common? Pearson's sale of the Financial Times to Nikkei of Japan. The likely absorption of Britain's RSA (the former Royal Sun Alliance) by Switzerland's Zurich Insurance. And the sale by UK industrial group Melrose of its smart-metering offshoot Elster to America's Honeywell. The obvious answer, as readers of this column will know only too well, is to observe that they are British-owned assets falling to overseas predators. ...read

Around the world Britain stands for quality, security and innovation. The British brand has a crucial role to play in projecting 'soft power' - how we use our cultural and political assets to export our identity, our products and our services. ...read

Its new proprietor Nikkei, it is claimed by the Pearson and FT management, is just the right owner for the FT as the Pearson group reaches an 'inflexion point' and mobile and social media take-off. But what about content and investment in journalism? With due respect to Japanese colleagues collectively, they are barely visible at the kind of global events, such as Davos, in which the FT delights. ...read

As Boeing enters its 100th year it is in the UK for the long haul, and plans to continue to increase production rates to meet global airline demand. We and our suppliers all want to ensure that our partners remain at the forefront of aerospace in the 21st century, delivering great jobs and environmental benefits for our children. Ours is an industry where the UK can continue to excel globally. ...read

The eurozone has decided that to renew Greece's economy and to boost tax revenues, the appropriate policy is to jack up taxes. And not just any taxes, but VAT on leisure activities and on holiday islands, Greece's prime industry and its biggest source of outside income. The talks that will soon begin to finalise the latest bailout, agreed in principle last week, will surely founder once again. ...read

In the six years since the financial crisis, Britain's homeowners and borrowers have been shielded from rising interest by the Bank of England's 0.5 per cent rate. In what may be the most significant speech since he took office, Governor of the Bank of England Mark Carney signalled in Lincoln last night that he would expect the age of super-low interest rates to end at the turn of 2015. ...read

Historically Iran has been one of the world's major oil produces but sanctions have meant that exports have been limited to one million barrels per day, with most going to Japan, India and China as a result of an agreement with the Western powers that were fearful that a total embargo would damage economic recovery. There is an expectation that exports could be increased by up to 60 per cent with most of the oil heading to Europe. That would suggested a prolonged period of low prices despite the war being raged by IS in the Middle East and North Africa. ...read

Tsipras ought to have better understood the consequences of capital controls and closing the banks before he rejected earlier bail-out packages. Greece now finds itself back at ground zero. The banks that were shuttered more than two weeks ago were never quite fit for purpose, now they are effectively bankrupt. In the process, businesses across Greece have been deprived of working capital and supplier finance and commerce is in freefall. ...read

Youth unemployment is one of the biggest issues facing us in the UK today. Four in ten of those out of work are aged below 25. Young workers are flexible and many are highly educated. So what can we do to get more of the younger generation into work? In his summer Budget, the Chancellor took some important steps to help younger workers trying to get a foothold in the jobs market. ...read

The Chancellor received plaudits for the political nous of his Budget, not least his willingness to steal so many of Labour's clothes. But there was at least one garment George should have left to the opposition - knee-jerk banker bashing. The sins of the banking industry are legion and I would not wish to be seen as an apologist for those failings. But the announcement of an eight per cent extra tax on banking profits from 2016 makes no sense, either as a measure to improve banking behaviour, or as sensible economic policy. ...read

They marched the Greek people up to the Acropolis, invoked blackmail and terrorism, encouraged them to vote 'No' to a bailout and have now marched them down again. And the rescue terms being accepted are little different, if not tougher, than those they could have obtained months ago. It looks as if a perilous moment may be passing in the eurozone history. But it has left behind devastating damage to Greek commerce and confidence in the single currency as a durable endeavour. ...read

The International Monetary Fund looks to be a little more concerned about the state of the global economy than the Chancellor. Even more cheekily a day after George Osborne was crowing from the dispatch box about Britain being the fastest growing economy in the advanced world, the Fund has had the temerity to suggest that the United States might do a little bit better with 2.5 per cent growth against 2.4 per cent in the UK. That is down 0.3 per cent from the April figures. Osborne today aims to underpin British output by unveiling a 90-page blueprint 'Fixing the Foundations' to improve Britain's lagging productivity including sweeping changes to planning laws. ...read

Not for the first time Barclays has produced a Budget day bombshell. The timing may be unfortunate, but the axing of the chief executive Antony Jenkins is not a huge surprise. The writing on the wall has been there since John McFarlane, the tough former Aviva boss, was named as the successor chairman to City panjandrum Sir David Walker. ...read

Britain's economy continues to grow at a good clip with Goldman Sachs estimating quarter-on-quarter annual growth at 2.7 per cent. Clearly, much of the demand in Britain is being generated domestically as employment levels and disposable incomes rise. Britain is, however, one of the most open economies in the world and dramatic events in Greece, the eurozone and Asia inevitably will lap on these shores and could threaten the pace of recovery. ...read

Now the shock of the 'No' vote from Greece's plebiscite has been absorbed, all eyes are on what happens next. On the horizon are meetings of the European Central Bank (ECB) on the emergency lending facility for the Greek central bank, today's eurogroup meeting and July 20 when Athens is due to repay €3.6billion of bonds to the ECB. ...read

There is no escaping the fact that BP was made a political football by President Obama. It has also been a victim of mercurial Louisiana justice where flimsy and unsubstantiated claims for compensation have been paid. The fine now being levied is the biggest ever imposed by the Americans against any corporation and will bring the total cost of the Deepwater Horizon explosion and spill to around £34.5bn. ...read

Most of us know very little about our credit rating. It affects big decisions in our financial life, from getting a mortgage, to opening a bank account and what credit cards or loans we can get - but our financial CV often remains a mystery. That's hardly surprising considering the muddle we have in the UK - it's time to do something about that. ...read

Carney notes that events in Greece have moved very rapidly in recent days placing Britain's hard-won stability at risk. The UK may not have a great deal at stake directly in Greece (although I would wager it is greater than we think) but the UK's exposure to the eurozone is considerable. ...read

Individual Greeks are now in the same position their successive prime ministers have faced in negotiations for the past five years. Do you cave into these terrible bailout terms, which will prolong economic misery with no end in sight? Or do you prefer to refuse and live with the consequences, which might be awful at first but will at least give the country a chance of eventual recovery? ...read

There exists a gap between official advice and travel cover - and insurers should really do the decent thing and increase the policies before they find themselves wrangling with their customers. I have visions of thousands of hot and bothered dads waddling into hotel reception areas, looking for safety deposit boxes with all their holiday cash stuffed down their unmentionables. ...read

Contrarian investing is about doing the opposite of what most investors are doing. Those who have been brave enough have ended up as some of Britain's most successful investors. We look at some ideas that go against common wisdom now. ...read

More than a decade ago, NatWest tempted me in with its student current account. Gradually, the terms have become worse until finally, I switched. I should have done it before, as it couldn't have been easier. With yet another IT glitch hitting it's likely others will follow me. ...read

Hurrah, hurrah. Hang out the red and yellow bunting. Spain's Sabadell Group has acquired TSB, one of the most resonant names in British banking. Economic Secretary to the Treasury Harriet Baldwin argues the deal is 'a vote of confidence in Britain's economy and a stronger and safer banking system'. But do her comments make sense. ...read

Research by Boston Consulting Group, suggests that the digital/internet economy is proportionally larger in the UK than any other G20 country and has grown by 50 per cent in five years. The UK's love of online shopping - something I witnessed for myself at Tesco - has been a key driver of the digital economy. ...read

Make no mistake the economic chaos in Greece, which could even involve a banking collapse, is not good news for Britain. The dangers lie in how this crisis affects the rest of Europe's economy. Again, direct exposure is small and Greece represents just 2 per cent of the Eurozone economy. But the doubt that this debacle may now cast over the single currency project may have unknowable consequences for economic confidence in the region. ...read

Fund manager Eric Moore, of Miton Income fund, reveals why dividends and growth are the secret to long-term investing success, in the Investing Show. He explains why he thinks UK dividend shares are not too expensive right now and how thinking about a bottle of whisky can help explain the blend for a good portfolio. ...read

The Airports Commission is expected to produce its recommendations next week. But the issue dates back to 1968, when a commission was set up to come up with recommendations for a four-runway airport in the South East. Its proposal was canned. Reports, reviews and commissions are a lucrative line of work for peers, knights and dames and can provide cover for politicians. Whether they bring great benefit to consumers is open to doubt. ...read

More than one million savers piled into the 65+ bonds, which became the biggest selling retail savings product in British history. There have been some cries of foul about the 65+ bonds from the economic right and the left because of the premium interest rate over UK gilts and bank deposits. ...read

For much of this year all the talk has been of deflation and the prospect of an interest rate rise retreated after six years at 0.5 per cent. As the jobless rate has come down, the labour market has tightened and increases in pay settlements and inflation-adjusted wages finally are coming through. Unemployment zipped down to 5.5 per cent of the workforce surprisingly rapidly though you might not have known it judging from the weekend march in London addressed by pop singer-cum-economic guru Charlotte Church (pictured). ...read

If ruling party Syriza is interested in a more permanent fix to the nation's problems it could start with the banking sector. The invisible or wholesale run on the four big banks - Alpha, National Bank of Greece, Piraeus Bank and Eurobank - reflects deep worries not just about the financial system but about Greece itself. ...read

The figures this week showing that real wages are now rising at their fastest pace since the autumn of 2007 were greeted with delight. It is true that one of the final missing pieces of the recovery jigsaw has at last fallen into place, but much of the improvement was down to ultra-low inflation, which already is picking up again. Average earnings, at just over £27,000, are hardly lavish and remain £30 a week lower than their pre-crisis peak, according to the Resolution Foundation. ...read

The great European single currency experiment has failed. Whatever the final outcome of the Greek crisis, the euro will continue, albeit perhaps with one less member, but the grand vision of the currency's founders is in tatters. The hopes that monetary union would bring European nations together has proved to be entirely false. ...read

As we discovered during the 2007-08 financial crisis, the most important decisions, bad and good, almost always come at weekends when financial markets are closed and the bankers on their yachts. If there were to be a Lehman moment for Greece, it potentially could be this weekend, although it is worth remembering that the deadline for the International Monetary Fund debt repayment of €1.5billion, a paltry sum in the context of Greek's total debts of €317billion, does not actually occur until June 30. ...read

There's an important founding principle at the heart of the pension reforms: it's your money. If you saved responsibly, you should be trusted to spend it responsibly. A number of Britain's biggest insurers would do well to remember this. Better still, the Government could give them a bell and remind them -after all, they have promised to name and shame those who stop you from taking your cash. ...read

ALEX BRUMMER: Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras leads a ragged coalition of socialists who would like nothing better than to see capitalism collapse around them. If default and some form of devaluation do occur, the impact on the markets, the rest of Europe and for that matter global stability could be devastating. Even as the on-off talks about debt repayments and Greek pensions go on, the ECB has been extending ever more help to the banking system via the Bank of Greece. ...read

Last week Ros Altmann, the new Pensions Minister, said the pension reforms should be given time to bed in before providers were held to account for dragging their feet. Understandable political waffle. But disappointing really because I know for sure that the old Altmann would now be jumping up and down, spitting feathers and demanding immediate Government intervention. ...read

It is a debate that comes around regularly in Whitehall and we can see it again in the case of Apache helicopters that American group Boeing is aggressively marketing to the Ministry of Defence - offering a massive discount in a bid to win the order. The military top brass believe the Apache is the right product operationally, though rival manufacturers - notably AgustaWestland which produces a version of the Apache with its own adaptations - would obviously argue otherwise. ...read

Britain's response to the financial crisis and failings in the City markets that followed has been frustratingly piecemeal. Urgent reforms clearly were necessary to plug the gaping regulatory gaps exposed by the crisis. But the responses have been organised chaos with little joined-up thinking. MPs on the Treasury Select Committee and the Parliamentary Banking Commission sought to expose wrongdoings and propose reform. ...read

Three minor revolutions happened this week. They were so discreet that even ardent readers of the financial pages may have missed them, but they are significant nonetheless. All three point to the idea that the City is finally waking up to the contribution the workforce makes to the success or failure of a business. This is a fairly radical departure from the previous position, where the only employee deemed worthy of notice was the one sitting in the chief executive's office and hauling in a colossal package. ...read

We've currently got the incredible situation where the Government wants you to take responsibility for your savings, but the insurers won't let you. And, for that reason, the sweeping reforms are proving a frustration for many who thought they'd have the chance to spend their nest eggs as they want. Pensions Revolution? Pah. The only thing that is revolting in pensions is the treatment of loyal savers by the insurers and policymakers. ...read

Hong Kong seems the most obvious answer, but really isn't. First problem is, HSBC is bigger than the city state - its assets are nine times the size of the entire economy. That makes regulation tricky, and, in reality, it would be regulated by officials in Beijing. Do HSBC's shareholders really want that? Do they really believe the UK's swipes at the banking system - which are known, at least partly quantifiable, and taking place in a mature democracy - will be worse than being ruled by Communist China, whose own banks operate as arms of the state? ...read

If this administration really wants to make itself the Government of working people, Osborne should make a discounted offer when he sells the Government's final 30 per cent stake in Royal Mail. Of course, it was effectively a discounted offer last time when the Coalition offered Royal Mail shares for sale at 330p each, before watching them rise 38 per cent in the first day. ...read

For those who think like me - or even those that don't but want certainty about how much they pay to their lender each month - then a low-cost fixed rate mortgage is the way to go. Yes base rates have stayed at 0.5 per cent for six years, which might tempt borrowers to take a gamble on a tracker. But I am cautious. It seems unlikely the base rate can fall further than where it is now. ...read

South Africans are addicted to a mobile phone app that tells them the black out schedule for their neighbourhood so they know when they will next be plunged into darkness. Over the last couple of years South Africa has got itself a serious electricity problem. There simply isn't enough to go around. ...read

Is there anyone in Britain who is actually able to claim the Government's new marriage tax break worth £212? We'll soon know - because the first deadline for HMRC to respond to applicants has passed. And the letters and emails flooding into Money Mail about this promised perk would certainly suggest no one is ever going to be able to take advantage of it. ...read

Some seven years after the meltdown at Lehman, Britain's banking system is showing some signs of returning to normality. Mortgage approvals are at their highest level in a year and the British Bankers' Association reports net borrowing by business, across all industry sectors, has increased in three of the past four months. The apparent return to stability affords both the Chancellor George Osborne and Bank of England Governor Mark Carney an opportunity to outline their respective plans for better banking at the Mansion House dinner next week. ...read

It is a dispiriting but very real fact that where there is money to be made from unsuspecting individuals, fraudsters will quickly appear. The surprise announcement by the Chancellor that retirees would be given greater flexibility over their pension pots came into force on April 6. But with this increased freedom also comes increased risk. It has opened the door to fraudsters seeking ways to take advantage of retirees who may not have the experience, technical knowledge or confidence to know what best to do with their hard-earned savings. ...read

Many savers, especially the slightly older among you, will be wondering what to do next in the perennial search for lip-smacking interest now that sexy pensioner bonds are no more. Although the returns for Premium Bonds - based on 'average luck' - are similar to what you can earn from a good savings account (or a best rate cash Isa), that's not the point. It's the joy a prize brings when it arrives in the post even if it is only the minimum £25. ...read

This may seem an odd question given that the Woolworths website is closing down. But that is very much a matter of internal organisation at its owner Shop Direct. As a format, with its eclectic mix of household products, I venture to say there could be a place for Woolies, or something very similar in our high streets. Woolworths collapsed in late 2008 at the height of the credit crunch. ...read

The causes, to no one's surprise, reflect badly on our financial services industry: greed and neglect. Good ideas tainted by avarice include with-profits policies and structured products.
Take with-profits. Invest your customers' cash in the stock market and, when the index roars ahead, keep back a bit for leaner times. What a great idea. But these funds were ruined largely by the way commission-driven staff sold them; manipulation of the public's expectations; and how the companies abdicated responsibility afterwards. ...read

Tricky forecasting awaits the Chancellor as he limbers up for his second Budget of the year, writes ALEX BRUMMER. A big theme of the July 8 package that will include swingeing budget cuts. Critics are already suggesting that, amid signs the UK economy is coming off the boil, it may not be the best time to shrink the size of government. ...read

Ever since the eurozone debt and banking crisis began, the financial markets have been used to a soap opera of periodic dramas, says economist NEIL MACKINNON. ...read

Wonga reborn - a kinder, more caring Wonga (allegedly) - was unveiled last week when the country's biggest payday lender embarked on an advertising campaign aimed at drumming up business. Only time will tell whether Wonga reincarnated has really moved on from its dubious past. I hope so because it is better to deal with a heavily regulated payday lender than a grubby backstreet money lender. ...read

The energy industry is cock-a-hoop. They will argue it shows they have been right all along and that charges of profiteering have been unfair. I doubt that bill-payers will feel much better however. The issue at stake is not a simple calculation. But if our regulator cannot get a grip on these issues, it is small wonder that the public do not feel their interests are necessarily in safe hands. ...read

Wages are rising above the cost of living, savers are getting a real return, and the pound in your pocket buys more. Inflation will be back when falling energy and petrol prices fall out of the equation and the supermarkets eventually stop duffing each other up. ...read

Osborne already is committed to shaving some £12bn of unidentified cuts from welfare as he aims for a surplus by 2017-2018. He will not be relying on welfare alone. Osborne has tasked chief secretary Greg Hands to identify new savings in each Whitehall department to be made in the current financial year. He notes that many departments underspent in previous years. ...read

We've seen the lifetime cap for a pension fund slide back slowly, so that from next April it will be £1 million. But this cap is now looking more like a penalty on middle earners.The Tories won voters who were attracted by their message of stability and aspiration. Now is the time to reflect that with the rules on pensions. That's a reward for taking personal responsibility for your retirement - a message the Chancellor could surely agree with. ...read

The International Monetary Fund, in its most recent World Economic Outlook, defines deflation as two successive quarters of falling consumer prices. Britain's mild dip to 0.1 per cent in one month hardly meets the test. There is no doubt, however, that the UK, having fought a war against surging prices for several decades, is in a period of what economists are calling 'lowflation.' ...read

Too often debate about the EU is dominated by ideologues - those who love or loathe the very idea of the European Union. To detract further from the quality of the discourse, the truth is most people simply have no idea what is happening in Brussels, says the boss of the British Chambers of Commerce. ...read

If the Bank of England's outlook is to be believed, we won't see an interest rate rise until it gets a seven-year itch. But how much faith can we put in that? The caveat with these forecasts has always been not to bank on them. Rate expectations have swung around wildly over the past six years. We're still at 0.5 per cent. ...read

For downtrodden savers, the immediate future is not looking particularly fruity. Interest rates, razored down to 0.5 per cent in the maelstrom of the financial crisis in March 2009, show little sign of picking up. Indeed, it is unlikely there will be any increase until late next year with interest rates then forecast to rise gently to no more than 1.5 per cent by the middle of 2018. ...read

The expansion of our airports has been put off for far too long, thanks largely to the political difficulty and (sometimes understandable) nimbyism that colours every major development in this country. The same could be said of our housing shortage, exacerbated by the difficulty in winning approval for new developments. Where to expand our airports will be a painful decision for Government, but any further delay would be the most irresponsible decision of all. ...read

Large companies and private equity houses are sitting on giant cash piles and are itching to spend after years of reducing debts and returning funds to appease frustrated shareholders. Record low interest rates also mean debt financing is cheap, a factor GlaxoSmithKline boss Sir Andrew Witty has warned could prompt some firms to make rash decisions and fork out more than they should on ill-advised deals. ...read

As the Conservatives begin their first 100 days governing on their own, it is to O'Neill they have turned for the next big act as minister for 'ManSheffLeedsPool'. The idea of the passionate Mancunian sitting on the Tory benches as a peer and nestled in the Treasury as the unpaid Minister for Commerce is a little surprising but the job he has been given, delivering George Osborne's Northern Powerhouse, is a terrific opportunity. ...read

The Bank of England's downgrade of Britain's growth may look to have been the most eye-catching piece of latest economic data and would have been even more significant a week ago. But the more fascinating narrative is the apparent return to some kind of normality in the eurozone after almost five years of going nowhere fast. ...read

The economy is reliant on ultra-cheap credit. The Bank of England's base rate is still at 0.5 per cent where it was cut to during the crisis. What will happen to the economy when rates do finally go up? Politically the Government is weak, with only a slim majority. The cabinet will be reliant on rebellious backbenchers whilst trying to overcome all the economic, fiscal and external challenges. ...read

Different customers are seeing different increases in what they pay but it can be up to 9 per cent. In other comparable home services, this would not be allowed. The question is - having signed a contract, do you have to put up with this? ...read