The Lost Decade – the latest commentry from Justin A Urquhart Stewart

Justin is one of the most recognisable and trusted market commentators on television, radio, and in the press.

Originally trained as a lawyer, he has observed the retail market industry for 20 years whilst at Barclay’s Stockbrokers and developed a unique understanding of the market’s roles and benefits for the private investor.

On a regular basis we will bring you Justin’s independent thoughts and commentary on issues happening at home and abroad. 

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The Lost Decade?

We will in all likelihood look back and see this period as the ‘lost decade’ for the UK, although I suspect we will not be alone. After all we had ten years of boom and thus, as is usual with such cycles, we shall have ten years of lean (as in meat – horse or otherwise). There are shades of the Old Testament about it, but hopefully we won’t have Moses turning up soon (mind you he probably wouldn’t qualify under the immigration rules anyway, unless it turns out that he was in fact Romanian).

However, the term ‘lost decade’ is somewhat pejorative, as it would seem to imply that little or nothing will occur and that is certainly not the case. In fact there is a lot going on but it just rarely seems to feel like it. We are fed GDP figures which seem to become less credible with every quarter and have political leaders who don’t engender confidence or exude capability and credibility. The result is that we spend less, companies invest less, and there seems to be a national attitude of tired resignation, reflected and often underscored by a media happy to wallow in torrid tales or economic torpor. Oh dear, what a state we are in.

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