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Business Comment

David Prosser: Judgement day deferred once more

Outlook How's this for an instant verdict from the markets on Alistair Darling's efforts? Within minutes of the Chancellor sitting down, bookmaker Paddy Power halved the odds on Britain keeping its AAA credit rating. Before the speech, you'd have got 3-1 on there being a downgrade over the next six months or so. By the time Mr Darling finished speaking, the odds had shortened to 6-4.

Inside Business Comment

David Prosser: Will lenders' Christmas spirit endure?

Thursday, 10 December 2009

Outlook While Britain's banks, including those now backed so heavily by the taxpayer, are now almost certain to miss the targets they set themselves for lending to business, it's only fair to report that lending to mortgage borrowing does finally seem to be less constrained. The monthly updates on how much lenders are advancing may be showing only modest improvements, but competition is at least returning amongst home loan providers.

David Prosser: New hope for Twitter

Thursday, 10 December 2009

Outlook There has been widespread scepticism about the ability of social networking sites such as Twitter to turn a profit, despite their own claims and the mega valuations investors have put upon them. But a little-noticed update from the computer giant Dell may just confound the doubters.

David Prosser: MPC's flagship policy running out of time

Thursday, 10 December 2009

Outlook While Alistair Darling only gets a crack at set-piece economic announcements twice a year, Mervyn King has a monthly opportunity via the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee to bring his influence to bear. We'll get the MPC's latest pronouncement on interest rates and quantitative easing today.

David Prosser: Darling's impossible dilemma

Wednesday, 9 December 2009

Outlook Will Alistair Darling live to regret his determination to put the question of tackling the budget deficit on the back burner until he is convinced the UK economy is firmly in recovery mode? The Chancellor let it be known at the weekend that he would rather get it in the neck for pulling support from the economy too late than for pulling it too early. But he would not be human had yesterday's news from the credit ratings agencies not given him pause for thought.

David Prosser: Waitrose is shining again

Wednesday, 9 December 2009

Outlook The latest data from retail analyst TNS confirms what is becoming the big story of the sector this year: the amazing performance of Waitrose. TNS reports its sales were up almost 15 per cent over the 12 weeks to the end of November – yet more proof that what was once a charming but sleepy bourgeois brand is becoming a credible challenger to the big four supermarkets.

David Prosser: Bankers aren't the only bad guys on pay

Wednesday, 9 December 2009

Outlook No wonder bankers feel persecuted. Underlining their status as public enemy No 1, the Financial Services Authority yesterday released the findings of an inquiry into whether its new rules on bankers' pay should be extended to other firms it regulates. The answer, the FSA said, is no.

Jon Wood: 'We lost out because Rock was the first to suffer'

Wednesday, 9 December 2009

Owing to the unrealistic terms of reference imposed by the Government, the valuer has confirmed our submission to the courts: that this "compensation" scheme is a "no compensation" scheme by a Government in denial.

David Prosser: Time to make the banks pay their share

Tuesday, 8 December 2009

Outlook: A tax on bankers' bonuses is not the best way to raise money or even to address public outrage

David Prosser: Ofgem sends out mixed messages

Tuesday, 8 December 2009

Outlook: It is clear that at some companies, customers are paying the price for inefficiency and poor management

Ben Chu: Everybody needs good banking neighbours

Tuesday, 8 December 2009

I hope that the reports that Alistair Darling is planning a windfall tax on bankers' bonuses are true. Just to make it clear, I'm in favour of free markets, but not in favour of the sort of bastardised capitalism in which politically privileged industries take huge subsidies from the state and turn them into sky-high private remuneration.

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Columnist Comments

hamish_mcrae

• Hamish McRae: Sticking to fiscal rules

It will be future generations that will have to work to pay off these debts

matthew_norman

• Matthew Norman: How about a supertax on Blair?

The ex-PM mirrors the bankers in seeming to be rewarded for poor judgement

andreas_whittam_smith

• Andreas Whittam Smith: Separate 'good' and 'bad' bonuses to clean up City

The moral case for levying a special tax on bankers' bonuses is strong

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