British construction output fell at its fastest pace in six years in May, according to new statistics. Spades far from the ground…
The headline S&P PMI dropped to 38.2 from 39.7 in April, the seventeenth straight month below the neutral 50 mark, indicating shrinkage. Outside the pandemic, this is the steepest contraction since March 2009. Residential activity was the worst-performing segment – firms blamed unfavourable market conditions and elevated borrowing costs…
New orders also fell at the fastest rate in six year. Some firms explicitly cited domestic political uncertainty as hitting demand – thanks Andy…
Tom Baldwin, author of Starmer’s hagiography, spoke to Times Radio:
Tom Baldwin: “I think he’d like to do something. He’s very dutiful and driven by service. That’s why he came into politics. I think that’s characterised his time as prime minister. He hasn’t always sought popularity or been good at being popular. But I think he has some of the necessary qualities that we actually do want in a prime minister. That resilience, that relentlessness, that ability to carry the weight and the job really does weigh very heavily on people and he carries that weight very, very well.”
Jo Coburn: “NATO Secretary-General?”
Tom Baldwin: “I think that’s something that he would be interested in. I think it probably requires Andy Burnham’s government to support him in that and these are some of the questions which Andy Burnham has to resolve quite quickly.”