Alistair Darling fails to sparkle
Alistair Darling has come in for severe criticism in the press today regarding his handling of the UK budget and the way in which it was presented. He has even been accused of having a "boring attitude" when in reality there was not an awful lot for him to shout about bearing in mind the economic situation in the UK. Would voters have appreciated an upbeat sounding Alistair Darling giving the worst economic news the UK has seen for decades?
In many ways, the Chancellor of the Exchequer has been fighting a losing battle since day one because he is or has been seen as Gordon Brown's "friend" with some in the City suggesting he is a "yes man". However over the last few months we have seen a significant change in the characteristics and personality of Alistair Darling who now appears prepared to take on Gordon Brown on issues which he feels strongly about and the friendship of years gone by appears to be diminishing.
At the end of the day, it is Alistair Darling who will be remembered as the Chancellor of the Exchequer and live and die by his decisions and his policies. When Gordon Brown was in charge of the Treasury he effectively cut Tony Blair out of the picture and was very much his "own man".
Share this..
Related stories
Who made the big money in Dubai?
While there is no doubt that the Dubai property market in particular, and the overall economy to a lesser extent, has been very strong over the last decade the fact that the ruling family has been left with a $80 billion deficit prompts the question - "Who made all of the money?" The vast majority of investors in Dubai were attracted by the property sector which was supported by a strong econom...
Read MoreA&L fined £7m by FSA
Alliance & Leicester (A&L) has been fined £7 million by the Financial Services Authority (FSA), the regulator announced today. Shoddy sales practices for payment protection insurance (PPI) between January 2005 to December 2007 mean that many customers could have been mis-sold the cover, the FSA said.A&L was found to not have made it clear to customers that taking out the cover was voluntary.The p...
Read MoreRate hike prospect sinks in
Borrowers and mortgage-holders are taking in the prospect of another rise in interest rates later this year.The Bank of England's quarterly inflation report gave a clear indication yesterday that another hike would be needed to bring inflation down to chancellor Gordon Brown's two per cent target in the next two years.With analysts concluding the report represents a clear warning to the markets of...
Read MoreScottish leaders ignore collapse of Flyglobespan
Despite the fact that Scottish Parliament leader Alex Salmond has been championing all causes Scottish over the last few months, neither Mr Salmond or his political opponents took any time out in yesterday's Parliamentary questions session to discuss the issue of Flyglobespan. This reflects very badly on the Scottish parliament which is to all intents and purposes an arena to discuss all things Sc...
Read MoreInvestors back BSkyB directors
A number of prominent investors in BSkyB have stepped forward with their support for the BSkyB board of directors who recently turned down an indicative takeover offer from Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. It is believed that a potential offer in the region of seven pound a share, valuing the company at £12.6 billion, was suggested although many in the city believe a minimum price should be in...
Read More