What Britain still makes: aerospace, pharmaceuticals, cars, food and defence — a manufacturing sector far smaller than it was, and far larger…
Money and EconomyWhat things actually cost in Britain — housing above all — and the sustained squeeze on household budgets since 2021 that dominated…
Money and EconomyThe pound sterling: the world's oldest currency still in use, divided into 100 pence, and universally called the quid in speech.
Money and EconomyWhat Britain has under the ground and around its coast — coal, North Sea oil and gas, and now one of the…
Money and EconomyThe pre-decimal currency used until 1971: twelve pennies to a shilling, twenty shillings to a pound, and a supporting cast of guineas,…
Money and EconomyOne of the world's largest economies, dominated by services rather than manufacturing, heavily concentrated on London, and unusually unbalanced between its regions.
Money and EconomyWhy Britain kept sterling instead of joining the euro — a decision taken long before Brexit and now settled beyond serious argument.
Money and EconomyThe legally enforced floor on hourly pay in Britain, introduced in 1999 and now among the highest relative to average earnings in…
Money and EconomyWhat Britain buys and sells abroad: a large services exporter, a persistent goods importer, and a trading pattern reshaped by leaving the…
Money and EconomyValue Added Tax: the 20% sales tax included in the displayed price of almost everything in Britain, with a famously arbitrary list…
Money and Economy