This should put our moans about inflation and interest rates in some context. Putin and Truss-enomics may have messed things up for our economy, but spare more than a thought (or ‘do cry’) for Argentina, where to combat inflation of over 100%, interest rates have gone up to 97%; which not even the very sharkiest loan shark would get away with over here. In Turkey inflation was 85% last year. Their still-President Erdogan’s policy has been to consistently cut interest rates, apparently to boost growth which he believes will bring down inflation. It’s only made things worse for the three years he’s been doing it, and perhaps it’s an indication of what being unconventional might have done for us. Topping the inflation top ten is oil-rich Venezuela, 1200%, many of whose population are now destitute, with, not particularly thankfully, Sudan (300%) and Lebanon (200%) trailing behind. We’re actually very lucky, aren’t we?
“UK slips into recession as economy contracts 0.1% in December”
This week’s big economic and bad election news is that we are, or certainly have been, officially in a recession. You may not have thought you were, or you may have thought you have been for some time, as we and its effects are all different.