I Don't Feel Comfortable With Luxury, And

When My Job Was Attempting To Predict Future Economic Developments For The Shell Oil Company, I Was Frequently Reminded Of An Arabic Saying: 'those Who Claim To Foresee The Future Are Lying, Even If By Chance They Are Later Proved Right.'

Investment Banking Has, In Recent Years, Resembled A Casino, And The Massive Scale Of Gambling Losses Has Dragged Down Traditional Activities As Banks Try To Rebuild Their Balance Sheets.

We Need A New British Business Bank With A Clean Balance Sheet And An Ability To Expand Lending Rapidly To The Manufacturers, Exporters And High-growth Companies That Power Our Economy. Today I Can Announce We Will Have One.

I Made Friends With A Boy Who Was A Communist When I Was 13 And That Broadened My Political Views, But It Also Brought Me Into Conflict With My Father Who Was Very Right-wing.

I Am Going To Confront The Old-fashioned Negative Thinking Which Says That All Government Needs To Do To Generate Growth Is Cut Worker And Environmental Protections, Cut Taxes On The Rich And Stroke 'fat Cats' Until They Purr With Pleasure. I'm Completely Repudiating The Idea That Government Has To Get Out Of The Way.