Macroeconomic performance

The UK's future macroeconomic performance must be judged on how average living standards improve, inflation is kept under control, economy grows and unemployment falls, and the extent to which in the long run current account of the balance of payments moves in the direction of equilibrium.

The large budget deficits run up by eurozone economies in recent years are a main concern for UK's future macroeconomic performance. As Extract A indicates all eurozone nations have run budget deficits since 2007 and those of Ireland, Portugal, Greece, Italy and Spain are especially worrying. Massive budget deficits in 2009 of Greece, Portugal and Italy have added to national debts which now exceed 100% of GDP. Moreover Spain has a youth unemployment rate close to 50% that suggests poor economic performance in the future and France had its credit rating downgraded at the beginning of 2012 due to fears about its ability to repay its debts. The inability of these eurozone nations to service their debts is what Extract C refers to as 'sovereign debt problem.