Faisal Islam
Wonganomics: the role of student debt and housing costs
Wonga boss Errol Damelin tells Channel 4 News his payday lending firm is benefiting from a “generational shift” away from credit cards and unauthorised overdrafts.
-
FactCheck: How great is Osborne’s Britain?
Britain’s economy is a world-beating powerhouse, according to the chancellor. Are we really outpacing every major advanced economy on the planet?
-
FactCheck: Does a cap on payday loans work?
Payday loan companies argue that a cap on interest rates would force people to turn to loan sharks. But Stella Creasy says it has worked in other countries – is she right? FactCheck investigates.
-
-
Siobhan Kennedy
Regulator offers ‘feeble excuses’ for payday loan failures
The OFT’s excuse for its ‘ineffective’ crackdown on payday loans companies is pretty feeble. And what’s so alarming, is the speed at which industry grows up around the OFT’s tardiness.
-
Faisal Islam
Osborne peers over the edge of Britain’s fiscal trench
It could have been a lot worse for George Osborne in the autumn statement, as Britain faces losing its coveted triple-AAA credit status.
-
Faisal Islam
The governor’s green light
Sir Mervyn King offers green lights to George Osborne, but promises no green shoots to the rest of us. Faisal Islam dissects the Bank of England governor’s comments in Thursday’s live interview.
-
Faisal Islam
Can the Treasury blame borrowing figures on North Sea platform?
Faisal Islam questions Chloe Smith’s claim that shocking borrowing figures from the government were down to the closure of a single platform in the North Sea.
-
Lindsey Hilsum
Austerity medication – does it cure or kill the patient?
“Maybe we’re going to hell,” said Irene Lozano, an independent Deputy in the Spanish Assembly. “But if we do, we’ll take Germany with us.”
-
FactCheck: Are payday loans the cheapest option?
As wages are cut in real terms and the cost of living soars, Britons are turning to payday loans who hand out instant cash for often exorbitant rates of interest. The number of people taking out these so-called ‘payday’ loans quadrupled between 2008 and 2010, to 1.2 million. Are they the cheapest option?
-
Faisal Islam
What to watch as America awakes to financial vulnerability
Channel 4 News’ economics editor Faisal Islam explains what it means to the US and to the world, for America to have its credit status downgraded to AA+.
-
Jon Snow
For America, read us!
It is extraordinary to be sitting in the United States in amidst these cathartic shenanigans on Capitol Hill. Jon Snow blogs from America.
-
Britain Off The Market!
“The Coalition’s in trouble – and you heard it here first!”, was the triumphant conclusion of one of our guests last night. That may or may not be true, but with a resounding “No Way!” the Dispatches audience rejected every proposition before them on selling Britain’s assets to start paying off the national debt, which will this year hit a trillion pounds.
-
Faisal Islam
Lloyds’ hard-won confidence is essential
At the top of Lloyds Towers the superlatives were being spread about liberally. Chairman Win Bischoff said that he was “immensely proud for having achieved profit”. Chief executive Eric Daniels was “delighted” that the government now has “optionality” on when to sell its 42 per cent stake, now that the share price was up above its 63p purchase price.
-
Jon Snow
Something ugly in the woodshed
Spain is in the frame again…stress testing her banks seems not to have been a particularly reassuring experience.
-
Faisal Islam
Would this be Alistair Darling’s advice to George Osborne?
Faisal Islam imagines what a letter between Alistair Darling and George Osborne could look like.