The survey which shows why the government is struggling in the polls
The typical household in the UK has seen disposable income drop by 15 per cent in the last year as food prices and utility bills soar.
Disposable income now represents 28 per cent of average household income, down from 35 per cent a year ago, according to a survey published on Monday by uSwitch.com, the price comparison website. This is the equivalent of £14,520, down from £17,102. Read more
PA Consulting in the news yet again
PA Consulting’s website boasts about its appearances in the business and national media. Strange then that it makes no mention of the latest flurry of publicity, such as here, here and there. Should we expect an update?
Here’s another one from this morning for the company to add to their files. Read more
Gordon Brown and the false promise of a Northern Rock profit
Back in February the prime minister said in his monthly press conference that it was “entirely possible” the government could sell Northern Rock at a profit. Eventually.
But now we know that Goldman Sachs was – in the same month – advising the Treasury in private that taxpayers would lose at least £450m from the nationalisation, even under a best-case scenario. Read more
Goodbye and good riddance to Digby Jones
That will be the inevitable response within most of the Labour party to the imminent departure of Lord Jones of Birmingham, former head of the CBI.
One of the “goats” (non-partisan ministers in the, ahem, ‘government of all the talents’) hired last summer by Gordon Brown, he was hardly an outright success. Read more
| About this blog | Blog guide |
Jim Pickard is the FT's chief political correspondent, having joined the lobby team in January 2008. He has been at the FT since 1999 as a regional correspondent, assistant UK news editor and property correspondent.
Kiran Stacey is an FT political correspondent, having joined the lobby in 2011. He started at the FT as a graduate trainee in 2008, working on desks including UK companies and US equity markets before taking over the FT's Energy Source blog.
FT's latest UK politics & policy news