Chaos in Catalonia

Spain's clumsy attempt to quell the unrest in Catalonia has only inflamed tensions, says Matthew Partridge.

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Both sides must de-escalate the conflict
(Image credit: 2017 Anadolu Agency)

Spain is in turmoil, says the Financial Times. Last Sunday more than two million people in the region of Catalonia took part in a referendum on secession from Spain. Ninety per cent of the votes cast were in favour, but turnout for the vote, which had been declared illegal by local and national courts, was just 42%.

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Dr Matthew Partridge
Shares editor, MoneyWeek

Matthew graduated from the University of Durham in 2004; he then gained an MSc, followed by a PhD at the London School of Economics.

He has previously written for a wide range of publications, including the Guardian and the Economist, and also helped to run a newsletter on terrorism. He has spent time at Lehman Brothers, Citigroup and the consultancy Lombard Street Research.

Matthew is the author of Superinvestors: Lessons from the greatest investors in history, published by Harriman House, which has been translated into several languages. His second book, Investing Explained: The Accessible Guide to Building an Investment Portfolio, is published by Kogan Page.

As senior writer, he writes the shares and politics & economics pages, as well as weekly Blowing It and Great Frauds in History columns He also writes a fortnightly reviews page and trading tips, as well as regular cover stories and multi-page investment focus features.

Follow Matthew on Twitter: @DrMatthewPartri