http://blogs.independent.co.uk| Blogs from the Independent newspaper - news, views and features from the world's most free-thinking newspaper| Sun, 19 May 2013 14:03:37 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2| en hourly 1 http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2013/03/07/why-are-there-fewer-noughts-in-a-billion-than-there-used-to-be/ http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2013/03/07/why-are-there-fewer-noughts-in-a-billion-than-there-used-to-be/#comments Thu, 07 Mar 2013 09:31:55 +0000 Simon Read http://blogs.independent.co.uk/?p=33083 Which is right - a thousand million or a million million? The answer lies with a former Labour Prime Minister]]> http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2013/03/07/why-are-there-fewer-noughts-in-a-billion-than-there-used-to-be/feed/ 30 http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2012/12/05/autumn-statement-osbornes-deficit-dissembling/ http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2012/12/05/autumn-statement-osbornes-deficit-dissembling/#comments Wed, 05 Dec 2012 18:37:12 +0000 Ben Chu http://blogs.independent.co.uk/?p=30521 George Osborne had a surprise for us all in his Autumn Statement today]]> http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2012/12/05/autumn-statement-osbornes-deficit-dissembling/feed/ 3 http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2012/08/08/london-2012-has-helped-to-show-the-true-price-of-gold/ http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2012/08/08/london-2012-has-helped-to-show-the-true-price-of-gold/#comments Wed, 08 Aug 2012 11:32:56 +0000 Dominic Holland http://blogs.independent.co.uk/?p=27210 There was no Angolan equestrian team or Eritrean rowers and perhaps ironically, no sailors from Somalia to worry Big Ben Ainslie. Is this purely down to the cost of training?]]> http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2012/08/08/london-2012-has-helped-to-show-the-true-price-of-gold/feed/ 9 http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2012/07/05/money-money-money-lets-take-back-the-control/ http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2012/07/05/money-money-money-lets-take-back-the-control/#comments Thu, 05 Jul 2012 15:33:56 +0000 Andrew Ryan http://blogs.independent.co.uk/?p=26026 Heidemarie Schwermer, a German woman, has lived without money for 16 years. Doing odd jobs in return for food and clothes, Heidemarie claims it has made her happier and that money distracts us from what is really important. While an extreme example, I agree with her sentiment. Money does distract us and also scares us. And whilst I don’t think we could all live without money, I do think we could all change our attitude towards it.]]> http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2012/07/05/money-money-money-lets-take-back-the-control/feed/ 0 http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2012/06/28/pocket-money-our-children-dont-have-to-follow-in-our-credit-crunched-footsteps/ http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2012/06/28/pocket-money-our-children-dont-have-to-follow-in-our-credit-crunched-footsteps/#comments Wed, 27 Jun 2012 23:00:18 +0000 Dr. James Lane http://blogs.independent.co.uk/?p=25724 Children need to understand the value of money, where it comes from and where it goes when they have spent it.]]> http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2012/06/28/pocket-money-our-children-dont-have-to-follow-in-our-credit-crunched-footsteps/feed/ 1 http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2012/05/09/the-olympics-and-the-jubilee-distract-from-the-real-issues-this-summer/ http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2012/05/09/the-olympics-and-the-jubilee-distract-from-the-real-issues-this-summer/#comments Wed, 09 May 2012 03:00:06 +0000 James Bloodworth http://blogs.independent.co.uk/?p=23983 "Everyone" is getting geared up for the summer of celebration, or at least so the Establishment tells us. But these are welcome diversions from more serious issues, says James Bloodworth.]]> http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2012/05/09/the-olympics-and-the-jubilee-distract-from-the-real-issues-this-summer/feed/ 58 http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2011/11/03/today-from-i-moneys-notable-faces/ http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2011/11/03/today-from-i-moneys-notable-faces/#comments Thu, 03 Nov 2011 16:01:03 +0000 i paper http://blogs.independent.co.uk/?p=18234 The new £50 note went into circulation yesterday, bearing the faces of 18th-century industrialist Matthew Boulton and engineer James Watt. They join the prestigious ranks of historical figures who have featured on Bank of England currency]]> http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2011/11/03/today-from-i-moneys-notable-faces/feed/ 0 http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2011/05/28/do-low-corporate-tax-rates-reduce-revenues-but-fail-to-create-jobs/ http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2011/05/28/do-low-corporate-tax-rates-reduce-revenues-but-fail-to-create-jobs/#comments Fri, 27 May 2011 23:00:26 +0000 Sean O'Grady http://blogs.independent.co.uk/?p=12618 The TUC report out today argues that low corporate tax rates reduce revenues but fail to create jobs. Their argument is that the UK enjoys “an extremely competitive tax rate. More than 90 per cent of UK businesses pay the small business rate of 20 per cent while the effective corporate tax rate for large [...]]]> http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2011/05/28/do-low-corporate-tax-rates-reduce-revenues-but-fail-to-create-jobs/feed/ 5 http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2011/03/10/rates-on-hold-again/ http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2011/03/10/rates-on-hold-again/#comments Thu, 10 Mar 2011 13:19:59 +0000 Sean O'Grady http://blogs.independent.co.uk/?p=9823 If only they televised the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee. Non middle aged men in suits arguing about monetary policy mightn’t sound like your ideal viewing, but forget the jargon and the data sets – this is real human drama played out for the highest possible stakes. Think mad men. Think massive egos. Thinks some [...]]]> http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2011/03/10/rates-on-hold-again/feed/ 4 http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2011/02/18/and-so-to-paris/ http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2011/02/18/and-so-to-paris/#comments Fri, 18 Feb 2011 14:46:36 +0000 Sean O'Grady http://blogs.independent.co.uk/?p=9038 We hacks always get terrifically over-excited about these big international summits, the G20 meeting of central bank governors and central bankers in the city of love is about the closest many of us get to glamour.]]> http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2011/02/18/and-so-to-paris/feed/ 0 http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2011/02/17/enter-the-hawk/ http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2011/02/17/enter-the-hawk/#comments Thu, 17 Feb 2011 11:31:05 +0000 Sean O'Grady http://blogs.independent.co.uk/?p=8980 Andrew Sentance is the member of the Bank of England’s monetary policy committee who has been calling longest and loudest for an interest rate hike, and he screeched some more yesterday.]]> http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2011/02/17/enter-the-hawk/feed/ 7 http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2011/02/14/china-v-japan/ http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2011/02/14/china-v-japan/#comments Mon, 14 Feb 2011 16:47:05 +0000 Sean O'Grady http://blogs.independent.co.uk/?p=8854 The news that China has overtaken Japan as the world’s largest economy comes as no great surprise. Indeed for those of us who are proud of a time-lord like perspective, it is merely a sign that China is returning to the role in the world economy she played up until the 1500s. Then, as now, [...]]]> http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2011/02/14/china-v-japan/feed/ 16