Huw Pill says “in the UK, someone needs to accept that they’re worse off” (Britons ‘need to accept’ they’re poorer, says Bank of England economist, 25 April). If he wants to tell “someone” his private opinion of our economic situation, being chief economist at the Bank of England surely puts him in a good position to find a candidate.
It’s simply not true that “we’re all worse off”, as Mr Pill claims. Neither the prime minister nor King Charles appear to be in that category. Public sector workers and food bank clients don’t need a senior economist to tell them who is worse off and who isn’t.
Meanwhile, we’re told the UK can’t afford clean rivers, adequate health, education or prison systems, or international obligations. Oddly, though, “someone” manages to enrich shareholders in those matters. Can Mr Pill do no better than echoing George Osborne’s pretence that “we are all in this together” in 2009, as he promised to freeze nurses’ and teachers’ pay and slash civil service costs?
Janet Dubé
Peebles, Scottish Borders
Huw Pill needs to take a wider look at the economy. The reason the economy didn’t completely tank in the much-maligned 1970s was because wages kept up with commodity price inflation. The one thing that didn’t inflate was house prices. People were able to live cheaply and take low-paid jobs if necessary, and just about get by. Today, extortionate housing costs and housing insecurity are the elephants in the room that are ignored by Bank of England grandees and...
Washington, April 27 Prominent television hosts and journalists have pushed back against online claims that the White House ... Washington, April 27 Prominent television hosts and journalists have ...