Anne Marie Waters Tuesday 28th July 2020 The UK hospitality sector, it was reported today, dropped a massive £30 billion worth of sales during lockdown. Revenue plummeted by 87% between April and June, in comparison to the same time last year. This means the state will be down £38 billion in tax revenue in…
Anne Marie Waters Tuesday July 21st 2020 I say the state of the economy today is unknown because it felt like the only appropriate word (other than “terrifying” which probably wouldn’t help the situation!) The government’s furlough scheme will soon end, and then UK business will need to stand on its own feet again…
Anne Marie Waters Tuesday July 7th 2020 It’s back! Our economy has now pretty much re-opened, so how is it going? The short answer is: mixed (again). The re-opening of pubs and restaurants (and others) on July 4th did not deliver the economic boost that was hoped. High street footfall for that weekend was…
Anne Marie Waters Tuesday 23rd June 2020 So, we’ve got the first week of post-lockdown high street trading under our belt, but how did it go? A mixed bag. The economy is gaining momentum, according to the Telegraph, and we’ve had “a record surge in activity”. Manufacturers led the biggest growth spurt since 1998…
Anne Marie Waters Tuesday 9th June 2020 The news doesn’t get much better. The coronavirus crisis carries on and on, our economy gets weaker and weaker, and the pinch is now beginning to bite. Among job losses now being announced as a result of the virus are from BP. The oil giant has announced…
Anne Marie Waters Tuesday 2nd June 2020 On the 15th of June, some shops in Britain will re-open, but we’re not quite clear yet how this will work. Will we be required to wear masks? Will there be a limit as to numbers inside the shop at any given time? What we do know…
Anne Marie Waters Tuesday May 26th 2020 Former BBC ‘Dragon’ Theo Paphitis has declared that “retail will never ever be the same again” when economic life begins to stagger back to normality. The coronavirus lockdown has closed all shops except those selling food and medicine, and it has been this way for more than…
Anne Marie Waters Tuesday May 12th 2020 If you’re a book lover, like me, there will be books in your life that fundamentally change the way you view the world. I have recently read (and am re-reading) just such a book. ‘Grip of Death – A Study of Modern Money, Debt Slavery, and Destructive…
Anne Marie Waters Tuesday May 5th 2020 Almost a quarter of the UK’s workforce is currently funded by the Government. Figures show that 6.3 million people are now paid through the government’s job retention scheme that funds 80% (or £2,500) of workers’ wages. This amounts to 23% of the workforce. In addition to this,…
Anne Marie Waters April 28th 2020 The Government has promised £60,000 to the families of health workers whose relatives die from coronavirus. The measure was announced by Health Secretary Matt Hancock on April 27th. This will no doubt bring some relief to devastated families and very few people would object. However, as it is…
Anne Marie Waters April 21st 2020 An extraordinary thing has occurred on the world markets; the price of oil has fallen below zero for the first time in history. In what can only be described as a surreal situation, traders were actually paying people to take their oil. The causes of this are largely a…
ANNE MARIE WATERS’ SUNDAY COLUMN Why we must ban the buyback of shares Sunday April 12th 2020 Why now? The coronavirus crisis has once again necessitated a government bailout of business. While this one was caused by biology (and the negligence of China), market forces have also brought us to the brink of economic…
Anne Marie Waters April 3rd 2020 When a person comes to the end of their working life, they have paid their dues. It’s time to relax and enjoy life, something that is earned having worked and contributed to society for decades. For Britain believes strongly in pursuing the most dignified and most comfortable retirement…
by a retired fund manager and For Britain member Our economy and indeed, the global economy, is in a far more fragile state than we are being told. There is one word for it and that word is debt. We are drowning in the stuff yet it remains largely invisible until something like Carillion or…