<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[RSS Feed]]></title><description><![CDATA[RSS Feed]]></description><link>http://direct.ecency.com</link><image><url>http://direct.ecency.com/logo512.png</url><title>RSS Feed</title><link>http://direct.ecency.com</link></image><generator>RSS for Node</generator><lastBuildDate>Sun, 05 Apr 2026 00:49:59 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="http://direct.ecency.com/@candy49/rss" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><item><title><![CDATA[70% of Billionaires in Britain are self-made, unlike in Germany where only 26% are self-made (the rest inherited their money)]]></title><description><![CDATA[Here is the table comparing billionaires across Europe: source There are a lot of aristocrats in Britain, but apart from the Duke of Westminister who owns prime London property, none of them are billionaires.]]></description><link>http://direct.ecency.com/uk/@candy49/70-of-billionaires-in-britain-are-self-made-unlike-in-germany-where-only-26-are-self-made-the-rest-inherited-their-money</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://direct.ecency.com/uk/@candy49/70-of-billionaires-in-britain-are-self-made-unlike-in-germany-where-only-26-are-self-made-the-rest-inherited-their-money</guid><category><![CDATA[uk]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[candy49]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 04 Jan 2026 15:46:51 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://images.ecency.com/p/ADdPNihJzmPbjd9rMLPtzbyK3y6hodWP1oQxAuSzDMSfqmabyfqjHaaBvuzwBwYFhWfjnFJmFEZmsCcbDiwY84Hg8?format=match&amp;mode=fit" length="0" type="false"/></item><item><title><![CDATA[Have any EU member states gone from being net recipients of EU funds to net contributors?]]></title><description><![CDATA[A big component underpinning the European Union's philosophy is the concept of "solidarity payments". The idea is that the wealthier states transfer money to the poorer states, which are supposed]]></description><link>http://direct.ecency.com/eu/@candy49/have-any-eu-member-states-gone-from-being-net-recipients-of-eu-funds-to-net-contributors</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://direct.ecency.com/eu/@candy49/have-any-eu-member-states-gone-from-being-net-recipients-of-eu-funds-to-net-contributors</guid><category><![CDATA[eu]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[candy49]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 13 Dec 2025 18:49:36 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://images.ecency.com/p/Zskj9C56UonZ32EJw6nMctrTQ6kTQ3swaDmbMFt6gbo9vxj2856MXx7Tw51r9pfxWceTVD7h12ssSZNgT4Dp9F7HqjL5R4M8QCfiRNZfAR68rjENKH9Q?format=match&amp;mode=fit" length="0" type="false"/></item><item><title><![CDATA[Was Germany the country to suffer the most from Brexit?]]></title><description><![CDATA[A "hypothetical" study has been released claiming that Britain's economy would have been 8% bigger if Brexit hadn't happened. The economist Julian Jessop responded as follows: The lines [on this]]></description><link>http://direct.ecency.com/germany/@candy49/was-germany-the-country-to-suffer-the-most-from-brexit</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://direct.ecency.com/germany/@candy49/was-germany-the-country-to-suffer-the-most-from-brexit</guid><category><![CDATA[germany]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[candy49]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 05 Dec 2025 17:12:57 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://images.ecency.com/p/Zskj9C56UonZ32EJw6nMctrTQ6kTQ3swaDmbMFtoPbNzmiHTnvrBBaSAFF4tJqEFBw2dJvLqK5NCb2PYU8kQMvjnEZv7j6o83FtuhuKC9zJKaMrkDS6J?format=match&amp;mode=fit" length="0" type="false"/></item><item><title><![CDATA[The UK's Dependency Ratio is currently worse than China's]]></title><description><![CDATA[The Dependency Ratio is a ratio between dependents (children and pensioners) and the workers who support them. It's calculated by the following formula: There has been a lot of panic recently about aging]]></description><link>http://direct.ecency.com/uk/@candy49/the-uk-s-dependency-ratio-is-currently-worse-than-china-s</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://direct.ecency.com/uk/@candy49/the-uk-s-dependency-ratio-is-currently-worse-than-china-s</guid><category><![CDATA[uk]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[candy49]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 03 Oct 2025 17:41:51 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://images.ecency.com/p/Zskj9C56UonZ32EJw6nMctrTQ6kTQ3swaDmbMFt6r9tjscV8H2cKd2MWwRAD949XLsRspYjvsapv4kQ61zxeX5wQuExVQ8WAN99WPCsgEvyNtmFNEvZU?format=match&amp;mode=fit" length="0" type="false"/></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Bank of England has now reversed £300 billion of Quantitative Easing]]></title><description><![CDATA[... but it still hasn't got back to March 2020 levels, that will need another £200 billion of asset purchases to be reversed. Here is the chart: source Inflation is at 3.8%, nearly double the BoE's 2%]]></description><link>http://direct.ecency.com/uk/@candy49/the-bank-of-england-has-now-reversed-gbp300-billion-of-quantitative-easing</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://direct.ecency.com/uk/@candy49/the-bank-of-england-has-now-reversed-gbp300-billion-of-quantitative-easing</guid><category><![CDATA[uk]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[candy49]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 27 Aug 2025 17:34:24 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://images.ecency.com/p/Zskj9C56UonZ32EJw6nMctrTQ6kTQ3swaDmbMFu2vsJkUF3wH4j61oUjMk5UPN66mmb4qRYq3z3TxJ19jCq2awEwgxPodK148YucsbtT7F91xdF9SzHU?format=match&amp;mode=fit" length="0" type="false"/></item><item><title><![CDATA[UK gilt yields soar - for the first time this century the UK is paying more to borrow than the US]]></title><description><![CDATA[Normally British and American bond yields track each other. For good reason, as they are both service dominated economies with big housing and financial sectors. But yields are starting to diverge and]]></description><link>http://direct.ecency.com/uk/@candy49/uk-gilt-yields-soar-for-the-first-time-this-century-the-uk-is-paying-more-to-borrow-than-the-us</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://direct.ecency.com/uk/@candy49/uk-gilt-yields-soar-for-the-first-time-this-century-the-uk-is-paying-more-to-borrow-than-the-us</guid><category><![CDATA[uk]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[candy49]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 20 Aug 2025 10:06:15 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://images.ecency.com/p/ADdPNihJzmPbjd9rMLPtzbyK3y6hodWP1oQxAuSzhaSRz6W39pQcwMmTV68DGXLyoh1HYXRLe8q3EcNmgTA3R5QaG?format=match&amp;mode=fit" length="0" type="false"/></item><item><title><![CDATA[UK trade surplus with New Zealand jumps after trade deal]]></title><description><![CDATA[The Brexit transition ended on 31st December 2020, after which Britain was free to sign trade deals around the world. The trade deal with New Zealand was signed in October 2021 and came into effect at]]></description><link>http://direct.ecency.com/uk/@candy49/uk-trade-surplus-with-new-zealand-jumps-after-trade-deal</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://direct.ecency.com/uk/@candy49/uk-trade-surplus-with-new-zealand-jumps-after-trade-deal</guid><category><![CDATA[uk]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[candy49]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 18 Aug 2025 17:23:57 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://images.ecency.com/p/Zskj9C56UonZ32EJw6nMctrTQ6kTQ3swaDmbMFt564YpzxSWXNRS9zSLwXq8gLMVVvTnVVcbJ87yyoTRaoSVvHorUp3VM5c3ntvar2cTBVr4w9QsSkgW?format=match&amp;mode=fit" length="0" type="false"/></item><item><title><![CDATA[Why are Holiday Inn hotels housing migrants, but Premier Inn hotels arn't?]]></title><description><![CDATA[It comes down to business models. Holiday Inn are part of Intercontinental Hotel Group (IHG hotels and Resorts). They're a British multinational listed on both the London Stock Exchange and the New York]]></description><link>http://direct.ecency.com/uk/@candy49/why-are-holiday-inn-hotels-housing-migrants-but-premier-inn-hotels-arn-t</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://direct.ecency.com/uk/@candy49/why-are-holiday-inn-hotels-housing-migrants-but-premier-inn-hotels-arn-t</guid><category><![CDATA[uk]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[candy49]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 16 Aug 2025 20:05:09 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[The UK's trade deficit with China widened to £39 billion]]></title><description><![CDATA[This was down to a sharp decrease in exports of goods to China. (Services exports were up, but not enough to offset the decline in goods). Here is the table: source In the four quarters to the end of Q1]]></description><link>http://direct.ecency.com/uk/@candy49/the-uk-s-trade-deficit-with-china-widened-to-gbp39-billion</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://direct.ecency.com/uk/@candy49/the-uk-s-trade-deficit-with-china-widened-to-gbp39-billion</guid><category><![CDATA[uk]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[candy49]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 13 Aug 2025 17:46:42 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://images.ecency.com/p/Zskj9C56UonZ32EJw6nMctrTQ6kTQ3swaDmbMFt6FXefmVs3RQxH7kJtD7XQn7f46WW4KS7ZV2ypUULzs83ALqsFGh5yCrB1e4BJuBwGJF6xjbzYKNjG?format=match&amp;mode=fit" length="0" type="false"/></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Pound's share of Global Foreign Exchange Reserves is at the highest since 2000]]></title><description><![CDATA[The Pound is now the third most held foreign currency (5.1%), after the dollar (57.74%) and euro (20.06%) according to the IMF. Here is the table: source Here it is in visual form: source More money ($61]]></description><link>http://direct.ecency.com/uk/@candy49/the-pound-s-share-of-global-foreign-exchange-reserves-is-at-the-highest-since-2000</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://direct.ecency.com/uk/@candy49/the-pound-s-share-of-global-foreign-exchange-reserves-is-at-the-highest-since-2000</guid><category><![CDATA[uk]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[candy49]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 09 Aug 2025 18:49:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://images.ecency.com/p/Zskj9C56UonZ32EJw6nMctrTQ6kTQ3swaDmbMFvb7MFiZESrTLzomeUqw5VkFR7DV58gHw6LNnttzkJVgoTagrjtN2gmUJ1JrKNBSrF7jt7LZhybZ5pJ?format=match&amp;mode=fit" length="0" type="false"/></item><item><title><![CDATA[The UK now has a trade surplus with Japan thanks to services]]></title><description><![CDATA[The first post Brexit trade deal the UK made was with Japan. It was signed on 23rd October 2020 and came into effect in 2021. It eliminated many of the tariffs that had applied to British goods when Britain]]></description><link>http://direct.ecency.com/uk/@candy49/the-uk-now-has-a-trade-surplus-with-japan-thanks-to-services</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://direct.ecency.com/uk/@candy49/the-uk-now-has-a-trade-surplus-with-japan-thanks-to-services</guid><category><![CDATA[uk]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[candy49]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 04 Aug 2025 17:46:21 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://images.ecency.com/p/Zskj9C56UonZ32EJw6nMctrTQ6kTQ3swaDmbMFtv8c1qyYvvsrMzp5h7KLdQ6PdW7LggV345qcpPTFWvwuwAWgwuCFGhyztcYU6UsKyW9vF2r7jtdtPp?format=match&amp;mode=fit" length="0" type="false"/></item><item><title><![CDATA[How Britain got a better trade deal from Trump than the EU]]></title><description><![CDATA[The Brits got their timing right. They cut their deal at the moment Trump was at his most vulnerable. Here's the timeline: April 2nd: Trump announces his Liberation Day tariffs. 10% was put on British]]></description><link>http://direct.ecency.com/uk/@candy49/how-britain-got-a-better-trade-deal-from-trump-than-the-eu</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://direct.ecency.com/uk/@candy49/how-britain-got-a-better-trade-deal-from-trump-than-the-eu</guid><category><![CDATA[uk]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[candy49]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 28 Jul 2025 11:14:27 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[UK trade with Australia has jumped since the trade deal came into force in 2023]]></title><description><![CDATA[The Australia-UK Free Trade Agreement, which was signed on 17th December 2021, came into force on 31st May 2023. The deal eliminated 99% of tariffs on both sides. 2024 was the first full year the trade]]></description><link>http://direct.ecency.com/uk/@candy49/uk-trade-with-australia-has-jumped-since-the-trade-deal-came-into-force-in-2023</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://direct.ecency.com/uk/@candy49/uk-trade-with-australia-has-jumped-since-the-trade-deal-came-into-force-in-2023</guid><category><![CDATA[uk]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[candy49]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 26 Jul 2025 12:10:27 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://images.ecency.com/p/Zskj9C56UonZ32EJw6nMctrTQ6kTQ3swaDmbMFtLaffTCeAnPiT1UpsmRoWLmLftFG3c7rhp2bzvDDuBVHb7v4ooqTmSdGHLRu7XvDWPWRax118szRMQ?format=match&amp;mode=fit" length="0" type="false"/></item><item><title><![CDATA[Labour is heading into an employment crisis]]></title><description><![CDATA[The media has been focused on the UK unemployment rate rising to 4.6% from 4% at the general election in July 2024. But that is based on a survey and distorted by the self-employed and zero hours contract]]></description><link>http://direct.ecency.com/uk/@candy49/labour-is-heading-into-an-employment-crisis</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://direct.ecency.com/uk/@candy49/labour-is-heading-into-an-employment-crisis</guid><category><![CDATA[uk]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[candy49]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 11 Jun 2025 15:36:33 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://images.ecency.com/p/46aP2QbqUqBrEB2QwsmTkPgMgoZkFaf2ss5CSEA9pbBsvNCUDkLy6ron1GckYC7UBSV331rdpuxKwzc8HQwY4eqRDtDm?format=match&amp;mode=fit" length="0" type="false"/></item><item><title><![CDATA[How will the council elections play out?]]></title><description><![CDATA[In about six weeks, the UK goes to the polls for the May council elections. It'll be the first electoral feedback on Keir Starmer's Labour govt since they won power in the general election in July 2024.]]></description><link>http://direct.ecency.com/uk/@candy49/how-will-the-council-elections-play-out</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://direct.ecency.com/uk/@candy49/how-will-the-council-elections-play-out</guid><category><![CDATA[uk]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[candy49]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 26 Mar 2025 00:56:54 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Will Keir Starmer survive as Prime Minister?]]></title><description><![CDATA[When the general election campaign began in mid May 2024, Labour were polling at 46%. But when the votes were counted on 4th July, Labour got just 33.7% of the vote - the lowest winning percentage in over]]></description><link>http://direct.ecency.com/uk/@candy49/will-keir-starmer-survive-as-prime-minister</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://direct.ecency.com/uk/@candy49/will-keir-starmer-survive-as-prime-minister</guid><category><![CDATA[uk]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[candy49]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 18 Jan 2025 22:37:06 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Update on Hive-Engine Withdrawals problem]]></title><description><![CDATA[So - it is coming up to four days since I tried to make a withdrawal from Hive-Engine to Hive. I still haven't received my coins, and now the Hive-Engine withdrawal page shows the following notice: That]]></description><link>http://direct.ecency.com/hive/@candy49/update-on-hive-engine-withdrawals-problem</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://direct.ecency.com/hive/@candy49/update-on-hive-engine-withdrawals-problem</guid><category><![CDATA[hive]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[candy49]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 07 Sep 2024 02:43:33 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://images.ecency.com/p/Zskj9C56UonZ32EJw6nMctrTQ6kTQ3swaDmbMFtuwcdaZYgDrjjN11EtbmyP5d8NaUrmL3LKu8nfVKb8o1Qci7XNKXXAqz2HUx36fy5yrLyx3w47qTC2?format=match&amp;mode=fit" length="0" type="false"/></item><item><title><![CDATA[Withdrawals from Hive Engine not working]]></title><description><![CDATA[So, about 14 hours ago I sold some layer 2 coins for Hive, and initiated a withdrawal to Hive so I could transfer it to savings - and it never arrived. It's only a tiny tiny amount, but ever since the]]></description><link>http://direct.ecency.com/hive/@candy49/withdrawals-from-hive-engine-not-working</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://direct.ecency.com/hive/@candy49/withdrawals-from-hive-engine-not-working</guid><category><![CDATA[hive]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[candy49]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 04 Sep 2024 22:06:57 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[How did Kamala Harris secure support so fast?]]></title><description><![CDATA[Ever since the disastrous debate at the end of June, President Biden was coming under huge pressure to drop out of November's presidential election. But the stubborn old man was resisting. Senior Democrats]]></description><link>http://direct.ecency.com/politics/@candy49/how-did-kamala-harris-secure-support-so-fast</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://direct.ecency.com/politics/@candy49/how-did-kamala-harris-secure-support-so-fast</guid><category><![CDATA[politics]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[candy49]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 27 Jul 2024 17:01:57 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[A connundrum from the General Election]]></title><description><![CDATA[Part of the reason Labour won 411 seats in the general election despite getting only 33.7% of the vote, is that the right-wing vote was split, with many 2019 Tory voters switching to Reform. Yet despite]]></description><link>http://direct.ecency.com/uk/@candy49/a-connundrom-from-the-general-election</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://direct.ecency.com/uk/@candy49/a-connundrom-from-the-general-election</guid><category><![CDATA[uk]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[candy49]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 16 Jul 2024 16:48:48 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://images.ecency.com/p/ADdPNihJzmPbjd9rMLPtzbyK3y6hodWP1oQxAuSzQqC9Caim4wY11afShNsdvrDmRtkpy8witUWn46Q88AMXQnmoJ?format=match&amp;mode=fit" length="0" type="false"/></item></channel></rss>