This is a very sad story. Beyond the facts and the verdicts I'd be cautious about everything else. Understandably given the stakes, some people are using today to set out their viewpoint to the … (View Post)

I think it's too cynical to say no lessons have ever been learned from any inquiries. On the railways for example a lot of safety standards have changed in response to investigations. (View Post)

The parallel I'm thinking of is business rates - where indeed central government takes a cut. Otherwise a lot of councils would have a way to outsource costs onto non-residents. (View Post)

Yes, it's essentially ahistorical. Merkel wasn't borrowing or investing in capital. France didn't ever get unemployment below 7%. (View Post)

It's mostly due to the devaluation of sterling, and that happened between 2007 and 2009, with a small addendum after the Brexit vote. Why this is not reflected in the FT's stats is a puzzle… (View Post)