Tony Hilton in the Standard
Interesting piece in the Standard today, in which Anthony Hilton proposes that Britain needs a ‘proper’ sterling crisis, suggesting we be ‘quietly pleased’ about the declining value of the pound and take advantage of the ‘freedom’ that comes with being able to set our own interest rates. He asks why, in light of the situation in Greece, which is trapped in a ‘debt nightmare’ because it cannot improve its position by devaluation, there is concern when sterling slides. Perhaps, Hilton suggests, this is due to a combination of the panic spread by hedge funds, a lack of political and investment confidence and an oversensitive nation which views a weakening currency ‘as if it is a national disgrace’. While losing the AAA credit rating may sound bad, Hilton observes how many countries ‘get by happily enough on AA’ and, in a similar ve! in, dismisses the fuss made about a hung Parliament, with minority and coaltion governments having served well elsewhere for decades. Vince Cable’s proposals on how and when to tackle the UK’s deficit are, Hilton claims, the most sensible on offer. In conclusion, Hilton believes that sterling’s continued fall ‘has its positive side’. Worth a look.