Blair's boom is going bust

[emad]

By Jane Padgham Economics Correspondent, Evening Standard
4 May 2005
The economy is faltering, City experts warn today.


The prediction follows gloom over factory output and a crisis on the high street. One banker warns of a "real risk of recession".

The sudden note of pessimism comes the day before voting and as Tony Blair and Gordon Brown hail their economic record as the "central issue" for the election.

Poor sales from Matalan, HMV and French Connection follow a report from the CBI showing retail sales last month suffered their biggest fall since July 1992 - two months before Black Wednesday.

Retail monitor SPSL said 5.3 per cent fewer people visited shopping centres last month then a year earlier. This is the lowest April number since records began.

http://www.thisislondon.com/news/articles/18357186?source=Evening%20Standard&ct=5

[rpannier]

1. My response to this question posed in the article`

And the central question is this: which party, Labour or Tory, is best able to run the economy? The choice is fundamental."
Neither of those two parties. The Lib-Dems are the best choice.

[goodboy]

2. and what of the leaked memo which confirmed what we'd been saying

all along: The decision to invade Iraq was made early on, and intel. and facts were arranged specifically for that plan.

Will this affect Blair?