The issue of regions looking for independence from their current nation states is in the news at the moment. From certain US states to Scotland and Catalonia the case is being made that they would be better to go it alone, but just how would this work out in practice, and how likely is it [...]

  Debt is never far from the news these days. Here are some of the similarities and important differences between government and personal debt. The comparison to the kinds of debts held by governments and the problems of that and personal financial responsibility is an understandable one to make. The numbers involved, after all, are [...]

  The UK government has this morning announced a major new railway infrastructure investment package. The total investment has been quoted as £9.4 billion; £5.2 billion is earmarked for the completion of current projects such as the London and South East Cross rail scheme and the improvements to the Thameslink routes. The other £4.2 billion [...]

  Today the ‘Big Six’ have agreed to a energy bill pledge in an attempt to help save their customers money. The Pledge As part of the pledge, companies will be required to alert their customers if they can get a better deal with them. They will then be offered to change to that deal [...]

  The concillation service Acas has offered to step in and hold talks between trade unions and oil firms in an attempt to cool tensions and essentially avoid a strike by tanker drivers that could disrupt supplies to the whole of Britain. For those who haven’t been following the story, earlier in the week fuel [...]

If you’re on benefits, it could be all change for you.

Hans-Rudolf Merz – Switzerland’s finance minister to the uninitiated – has managed to become an internet hit after footage of him cracking up with laughter during a parliamentary speech on spiced meat imports gained over 300,000 views on YouTube. The 67-year-old, who had never received much international acclaim prior to the speech, was so tickled [...]