Since I tweeted this the US have been all over us… #twittercurse
Shawberto nutmeg…
Bring on Rashford!!
Mathematically, perhaps in Southgate’s thinking, our position in the group means there’s much more at risk if we lose than to gain if we win… basically even with a draw, wales would have to win 4-0 on Tuesday.
Whoever wins between Iran and USA will qualify, and if there is a win, Wales are out, unless they beat England 4-0.
Absent that Wales need Iran and the US to draw, and then if they beat England they will qualify, with England, unless it’s a 7-0 win, in which case with Iran
England need to better than a 4-0 loss against Wales to qualify… Most likely top. Main route to qualify in second would be US beating Iran, and Wales beating England, or England drawing with Wales, and the US beating Iran by 5 goals
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PM just quoted the underindexing of robots in UK manufacturing… to the CBI!
This is one of my favourite statistics that the UK doesn’t even feature on the @IFR_robots league table of “robot density” top 20 in the world…
Actually the latest stats are pretty stark…
In 2021, Germany installed almost as many new industrial robots in one year (23,777), as the UK (24,445) has in the entirety of history…
More concerning, in a record year for global installations:
“In UK, industrial robot installations were down by 7%. The operational stock of robots was calculated at less than a tenth of Germany´s stock. The automotive industry reduced installations by 42% to 507 units in 2021”
NEW
Asked by Mishal if rejoining SM wd boost growth
Chancellor “having unfettered trade with our neighbours is very beneficial to growth..have great confidence that over years ahead, outside the single market, able to remove the vast majority of trade barriers between us & EU”
Suggests at margin different approach to at least try to lower some of the non tariff barriers that have arisen as a result of Boris Johnson/ Frost’s Brexit deal… businesses will be queuing up to tell them about some of the issues for traders…
“Unfettered trade with EU” was quietly dropped as an aim of EU negotiations since Johnson became PM in 2019, even if Johnson erroneously claimed his deal meant “no non tariff barriers” in 2020 - for Hunt to welcome the concept of frictionless trade sounds like different approach
*** Chancellor Hunt promises a “shallower downturn, lower energy bills, higher long term growth” as a result of the plan…
“The Office for Budget Responsibility confirms global factors are the primary cause of current inflation. Most countries are still dealing with the fallout from a once-in-a-century pandemic.” Says Chancellor
Hunt: “Bank of England, which has done an outstanding job since its independence, now has my wholehearted support in its mission to defeat inflation and I today confirm we will not change its remit.”
NEW on #BBCNews10 sources in industry and Westminster expecting re Autumn Statement
- Energy Price Guarantee continues in a form for all households.
- bills for a typical household, from £2,500 a year now to just over £3,000. Without wd have been £4k
- big extra windfall tax
Opposition response today also very important as I said here - my hunch is that Labour will back the OBR numbers to get debt falling after 5 years as it’s manifesto baseline - ie a 2% consolidation. Echoes of 1997, Ken Clarke’s v tight spending:
Doesn’t mean Labour will back causes or cure, but could be some controversy it identifies the same basic repair job logic… from this baseline further spending would have to be funded could help with credibility in markets of todays plans, that broad path kept whoever wins GE
Inflation measured by target CPI is at 11.1%, 5.5 times target, 41 year high, up again because of increases in energy prices, despite support. Without energy price guarantee would have been 13% plus
Food price inflation at 16.4% is at a 45 year high since Sept 1977… driven by milk and cheese etc
NEW
“Poland holds urgent National Security Meeting amid reports a stray Russian missile strike hit a farm there… The village has been named as Przewodów.”
NEW: US intelligence source reported Poland missile strike - AP
“AP says a senior US intelligence official was the source for the report about missiles hitting a Polish farm, without naming the official.” (Not confirmed by Polish Govt yet)