What a comparison between Britain and Italy reveals
Both countries have a growth problem—but to different degrees
Britain has long thought of itself as being part of the same economic club as America, France or Germany. It is, after all, the third-biggest economy in the West. So it is a mark of the glum mood in the country that commentators are now drawing comparisons to Italy instead—a place that, aside from la dolce vita, is known for interminable political drama, economic stagnation and nervous bond markets. The two countries’ economies and fiscal positions differ considerably, not least because Italy uses the euro and does not have its own monetary policy. A comparison is revealing nonetheless.
This article appeared in the Britain section of the print edition under the headline “Low-growth gang”
Britain October 22nd 2022
- A brush with the bond markets reorders British politics
- As Britain’s government looks to save money, almost nothing is protected
- What a comparison between Britain and Italy reveals
- Suella Braverman resigns as home secretary
- Indians want the Koh-i-Noor diamond back
- In Britain, the least sexy form of travel is getting some attention
- How Jeremy Hunt became the most powerful person in Britain
From the October 22nd 2022 edition
Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents
Explore the editionDiscover more
The slow death of a Labour buzzword
And what that says about Britain’s place in the world
Britain’s Supreme Court considers what a woman is
At last. Britons had been wondering what those 34m people who are not men might be
Can potholes fuel populism?
A new paper looks at one explanation for the rise of Reform UK
Are British voters as clueless as Labour’s intelligentsia thinks?
How the idea of false consciousness conquered the governing party