Why Labour isn’t really severing its ties with the Co-op Bank
Labour reportedly wants to move a £1.2m loan from the scandal-hit Co-op Bank to the trade union-controlled Unity Trust Bank. But could this all be smoke and mirrors?
Faisal Islam
Faisal Islam has left Channel 4 News. This is an archive of his blogs.
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George Osborne: ‘The job isn’t done’
Despite rising growth in the economy, Chancellor George Osborne tells Channel 4 News Britain needs to invest, manufacture and build more.
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Budget 2014: Carney butts in on a day of surprises
This is George Osborne’s big chance. It is the first time he will hold up the budget box at a time of a robustly growing economy. It has been a four-year wait for this pleasure.
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HS2 will be ‘brought in faster, earlier and cheaper’
A new report on the HS2 rail link to cut train times between London and Birmingham will confirm it will be fast-tracked and cheaper – although won’t be rubber-stamped before the 2015 general election.
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Key Cameron EU ally: ‘no idea’ about UK renegotiation
David Cameron was at pains to get the Swedes onside when he announced his referendum plan last year. So, why do they still have ‘no idea’ what it is?
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How would sanctions on Russians impact the UK?
Since 2008, 433 Russian millionaires have come to the UK using special visas – but as the EU discuss sanctions against Russia – what impact would they have on oligarchs living in Britain?
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A warmer war – Putin winning on the economic front
It is a version of mutually assured destruction preventing a full-scale trade embargo, and President Putin has planned in this way for years – Europe imports nearly a third of its gas from Russia.
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British Gas turns up the heat
Centrica Chief Executive Sam Laidlaw told Channel 4 News such pressure is undermining investor confidence and means vitally needed new power stations may not be built.
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Forward guidance did not fail, but welcome to forward vagueness
On any measure, having to abandon your much-hyped new policy innovation after just six months, is embarrassing – the rock star central banker seems out of tune.
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Dependent independence? Carney’s warning for Scotland
Mark Carney diplomatically warns Scotland that independence could come at a heavy price – like the ones paid by Ireland, Iceland, Cyprus and Spain.
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Got change for £100m?
For the first time the Bank of England allows the £1m and £100m bank notes, which underpin the Scottish banking system, to be filmed. Economics Editor Faisal Islam gets his hands on them.
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Playing ‘long-term plan’ bingo with George Osborne
If you believe that the government’s policies contributed to further imbalances, it might appear a little cheeky to argue: “Vote for me and I will rebalance the economy I further imbalanced.”
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Osborne: ‘I’m the first to say the job is not done’
Chancellor George Osborne tells Channel 4 News that positive growth figures show the government’s long-term economic plan is working, but there is still more to do.
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Why ‘Davos Man’ pontificates about inequality over canapes and fine wine
There are many on my Twitter stream who find it grotesque that the supposed “masters of the universe” who failed to create a safe financial world order are still on top.
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At Davos, the crisis is now off the menu
Davos Man is trying to put behind him some six years of financial fear. Doom Davos and Deleveraging Davos have been replaced by Dealmaking Davos. The dust is settling.
