I am writing this article on my Apple iMac. Beside me is a skinny capp from Starbucks, and I have already used Google to research information for this piece. Like most of the population, I am queasy about how little tax the trio pay but, while I could boycott the coffee, it's not so easy to do without Apple or Google.

Economic View

Conservative backbenchers like to cite Switzerland as an example of how it’s possible to trade in Europe while remaining out of the European Union. But within Switzerland itself, this benefit is not quite so apparent. As the noose tightens on the world’s most famous tax evasion mecca, it finds itself increasingly friendless.

I remember a conversation with Paul Fisher in his office deep in the bowels of the Bank of England one day last summer when he said Japan was still struggling after 20 years to get back on its feet following its financial crash so we should not expect too much too soon from the United Kingdom.

To Birmingham for an interesting speech from Liam Byrne – he who as a member of the Labour Government Treasury team famously left the note after the 2010 election warning the incoming Chancellor there was no money left.

Mr Gilbert... stuck with the group and has got it back on an even keel

Outlook Big Brother watched you. And Google? Google just loves you. The internet search leviathan's boss Eric Schmidt told us so this week. "Google will continue to invest in the UK no matter what you guys do," he told the audience at the company's annual Big Tent shindig this week. "We love you guys too much".

Outlook The Treasury this week hailed the fact that data from the Office for National Statistics showed that "underlying borrowing" is now falling. But did it? If you strip out factors such as gilt coupon payments from the Bank of England and transfers from the Royal Mail pension fund, borrowing in April 2013 was £10.2bn, up £1.3bn on the £8.9bn borrowed in April 2012. Ah, but what about the £2.3bn profits from the Bank of England's wound-down Special Liquidity Scheme (SLS)? They were paid over to the Treasury in April 2012 and thus flattered that month's borrowing figures. So disregard those profits for April 2012 and the comparison with April 2013 looks better, showing a £1bn fall in borrowing.

Outlook Some commentators are saying the IMF's advice to Mr Osborne this week did not amount to a call for the Chancellor to adopt an economic Plan B. I beg to differ. The IMF did not say the Government should merely permit the automatic stabilisers to function – which is what Mr Osborne means when he talks about his plan's flexibility. It did not say the Treasury should cut more to allow more infrastructure spending, enabling the overall deficit programme to continue at the same pace. What the IMF said is that the UK should not cut the structural deficit this financial year. At all.

Economic View: Let's not get excited, but if the big three keep on bringing in the bacon, the Government will be able to get the deficit down

Outlook Remember when the Bank of England said Britain's banks were short of £25bn? Pfah. Storm in a teacup. Nothing to see here, move along.

Outlook Talking of the IMF, its main reason for being in town yesterday was to give its view on the current state of the UK's economy.

Outlook How long has Marc Bolland got? About a year, seems the consensus, so that he can at least give undeniable evidence that his Marks & Spencer turnaround is actually turning.

Outlook Royal Mail plumped itself up for joining the stock market yesterday with some flashy looking operating profits.

Outlook Large companies that spend so much on public relations and marketing, and worry so much about how they appear, don't half make a hash of it when they talk about tax.