http://blogs.independent.co.uk| Blogs from the Independent newspaper - news, views and features from the world's most free-thinking newspaper| Fri, 24 May 2013 15:31:51 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2| en hourly 1 http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2012/08/20/a-latin-american-take-on-europe/ http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2012/08/20/a-latin-american-take-on-europe/#comments Mon, 20 Aug 2012 22:23:54 +0000 C J Schuler http://blogs.independent.co.uk/?p=27601 Following his success at Hay on Wye, I’m delighted to see that the Argentinian novelist Andrés Neuman will be appearing at the Edinburgh International Book Festival this week. ]]> http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2012/08/20/a-latin-american-take-on-europe/feed/ 0 http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2012/07/01/monti-python-and-the-holy-grail-why-italys-prime-minister-cant-win-over-his-people/ http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2012/07/01/monti-python-and-the-holy-grail-why-italys-prime-minister-cant-win-over-his-people/#comments Sun, 01 Jul 2012 03:00:54 +0000 Sherelle Jacobs http://blogs.independent.co.uk/?p=25819 Investors have good reason to be sceptical that the new Italian leader can resurrect his country’s economy]]> http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2012/07/01/monti-python-and-the-holy-grail-why-italys-prime-minister-cant-win-over-his-people/feed/ 46 http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2012/06/13/the-british-economy-an-international-comparison/ http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2012/06/13/the-british-economy-an-international-comparison/#comments Wed, 13 Jun 2012 12:02:28 +0000 Ben Chu http://blogs.independent.co.uk/?p=25233 Strange that the eurozone crisis should be "killing" the UK recovery, as the Chancellor puts it, while leaving the major economies that are actually members of the single currency relatively unscathed.]]> http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2012/06/13/the-british-economy-an-international-comparison/feed/ 4 http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2012/06/12/politicians-of-the-%e2%80%98centre-ground%e2%80%99-have-led-us-to-the-brink-of-catastrophe/ http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2012/06/12/politicians-of-the-%e2%80%98centre-ground%e2%80%99-have-led-us-to-the-brink-of-catastrophe/#comments Tue, 12 Jun 2012 02:00:24 +0000 James Bloodworth http://blogs.independent.co.uk/?p=25129 The era of moderate politicians is at an end. Right across Europe many people who grew up on a diet of consumerism and political cynicism are beginning to shake-off apathy and re-engage. As a consequence, from the Élysée Palace to the so-called “cradle of democracy”, the people of Europe are starting to rediscover the radical possibilities of the ballot box.]]> http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2012/06/12/politicians-of-the-%e2%80%98centre-ground%e2%80%99-have-led-us-to-the-brink-of-catastrophe/feed/ 93 http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2012/06/11/is-the-eurozone-killing-the-uk-recovery/ http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2012/06/11/is-the-eurozone-killing-the-uk-recovery/#comments Mon, 11 Jun 2012 12:10:02 +0000 Ben Chu http://blogs.independent.co.uk/?p=25125 The Coalition might argue that our exporters would have made even more of a contribution if the Europeans had sorted things out. But on the Office for Budget Responsibility's forecasts, trade has actually come in better than expected. ]]> http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2012/06/11/is-the-eurozone-killing-the-uk-recovery/feed/ 14 http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2012/06/10/why-does-osborne-want-a-united-states-of-the-eurozone/ http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2012/06/10/why-does-osborne-want-a-united-states-of-the-eurozone/#comments Sun, 10 Jun 2012 17:59:06 +0000 John Rentoul http://blogs.independent.co.uk/?p=25102 I was puzzled by George Osborne's interview on the Today programme last week, about which I wrote for The Independent on Sunday, and his article for The Sunday Telegraph makes matters no clearer.]]> http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2012/06/10/why-does-osborne-want-a-united-states-of-the-eurozone/feed/ 8 http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2012/06/04/the-rise-of-the-right-why-liberals-cannot-afford-to-lose/ http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2012/06/04/the-rise-of-the-right-why-liberals-cannot-afford-to-lose/#comments Mon, 04 Jun 2012 03:00:41 +0000 Yasmin Qureshi and Dr Nafeez Ahmed http://blogs.independent.co.uk/?p=24898 As the Eurozone crisis has teetered along the edge of disaster thanks to continued political and economic instability in Greece, Spain and Italy, the meteoric rise in the popularity of far-right political parties raises grave questions about Europe’s future.]]> http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2012/06/04/the-rise-of-the-right-why-liberals-cannot-afford-to-lose/feed/ 142 http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2012/05/31/irelands-vote-begs-the-question-will-the-eu-be-the-death-of-democracy/ http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2012/05/31/irelands-vote-begs-the-question-will-the-eu-be-the-death-of-democracy/#comments Thu, 31 May 2012 03:00:43 +0000 David Bowden http://blogs.independent.co.uk/?p=24803 With Ireland going to the vote today and Greece on June the 17th, David Bowden argues that those who call for a more technocratic (and less Democratic) European Union are the real problem with Europe. We need to be serious about holding the EU to account for the mess that we're in today.]]> http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2012/05/31/irelands-vote-begs-the-question-will-the-eu-be-the-death-of-democracy/feed/ 35 http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2012/05/29/european-solidarity-not-dead-yet/ http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2012/05/29/european-solidarity-not-dead-yet/#comments Tue, 29 May 2012 17:25:01 +0000 Ben Chu http://blogs.independent.co.uk/?p=24779 Perhaps because all things European tend to be unpopular here in Britain, we generally assume that Germany won't be willing to pay the bill for the survival of the single currency. It might not. But, the latest Pew poll suggests we shouldn't be so sure.]]> http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2012/05/29/european-solidarity-not-dead-yet/feed/ 2 http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2012/05/24/where-economics-went-wrong-by-david-blanchflower/ http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2012/05/24/where-economics-went-wrong-by-david-blanchflower/#comments Thu, 24 May 2012 14:16:26 +0000 Ben Chu http://blogs.independent.co.uk/?p=24611 "The big emphasis on theory in many UK economics departments has been a mistake as it seems to have little impact and has done little or nothing to improve the human condition" argues The Independent's columnist.]]> http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2012/05/24/where-economics-went-wrong-by-david-blanchflower/feed/ 7 http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2012/05/16/balls-we-need-this-eurozone-to-survive/ http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2012/05/16/balls-we-need-this-eurozone-to-survive/#comments Wed, 16 May 2012 21:01:07 +0000 John Rentoul http://blogs.independent.co.uk/?p=24287 Ed Balls, interviewed by Gavin Esler on BBC News earlier today, explained why he wants the euro to survive, but also sets out what needs to happen, which makes it rather unlikely. If Greece does go from the eurozone why should we really worry? What would you be worried about if you were sitting in No [...]]]> http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2012/05/16/balls-we-need-this-eurozone-to-survive/feed/ 2 http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2012/05/08/the-time-a-tory-chancellor-made-the-right-call-on-the-deficit/ http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2012/05/08/the-time-a-tory-chancellor-made-the-right-call-on-the-deficit/#comments Tue, 08 May 2012 09:46:41 +0000 Jonathan Portes http://blogs.independent.co.uk/?p=23942 Two years ago, the coalition set out its programme for government. Today, the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister reaffirm their commitment to the central element of that programme - cutting the deficit quickly. This is despite the dismal results this strategy has delivered, despite the fact that even the IMF is arguing that there are more sensible alternatives, and despite the growing realisation in the eurozone that austerity is a dead end. ]]> http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2012/05/08/the-time-a-tory-chancellor-made-the-right-call-on-the-deficit/feed/ 37