Soros: Britain cannot escape US recession

· UK vulnerable to reliance on financial services

· OECD head pushes for Bank of England rate cut

Published: The Guardian, Thursday January 24 2008

By: Ashley Seager and Larry Elliott in Davos

"Speaking at the World Economic Forum in the Swiss resort of Davos as
stockmarkets resumed their downward march, Soros said it would be "very
difficult" to avoid recession in both the US and the UK. The Fed had cut rates
in a bid to prevent the US tumbling into a major depression"

But is it llikely that he British government will heed the words of the wise?

Historically the Brits object to being 'advised' until they find themselves beneath one crisis on top of another when of course they are forced into an election. Then the governing politicians wonder why they are not re-elected.

 But UK election-speak is still down the road, Davos is now, and political minds, anywhere, rarely think very far ahead it seems.