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Steve Elliott's avatar

It's amazing how Governments suddenly discover apprenticeships as if they just invented them when they've only been going for a couple of hundred years. I did an engineering apprenticeship with Rolls Royce along with many other young people nearly 60 years ago which was excellent. Rolls Royce and many other engineering companies offer apprenticeships. Rolls Royce still do. The Blair government reinvented them except they included 30 day apprenticeships stacking shelves at Tesco which is not my idea of a true apprenticeship.

Shaun Oldson's avatar

Jamie do we actually have growth or is the government just spending more borrowed money ie how much is non government spending ?

Jamie Jenkins's avatar

The Government is borrowing lots of money at the moment to spend on the public sector to prop up the growth (or lack of)

Steve Elliott's avatar

I'm no expert but I suspect that both inflation and immigration both boost growth.

Shaun Oldson's avatar

Growth is real not nominal. Immigration technically boosts gdp though not gdp per capita which is sinking which is why uk people getting poorer. And poorer.

Steve Elliott's avatar

Thanks Shaun. I have read elsewhere that in recent years GDP per capita has fallen or is static. But I'm curious about what you say about inflation. As far as I can tell GDP is usually quoted in pounds in today's prices ( so google tells me) so wouldn't it be affected by inflation? I've sometimes wondered about the target inflation of 2% and that the target is not zero. I've read that it's set at 2% so people will not put off buying stuff but I also thought that it's there to give some growth. I'm not at all an expert but I am interested.

Shaun Oldson's avatar

That’s right Steve - real means without inflation. Nominal includes inflation. Suggest you follow Liam halligan, Julian jessop for economic insight.

Steve Elliott's avatar

Yes Shaun, Liam Halligan is someone I already follow keenly. He's my favourite economic commentator. I don't know Julian Jessop, I'll look him up.