Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial news, with the London stock market closing for Christmas at lunchtime * Oil up 1% in early trading 11.23am GMT 11.13am GMT RATHER LIKE THE GHOST OF CHRISTMAS PAST, FORMER GREEK FINANCE MINISTER YANIS VAROUFAKIS HAS MADE A FESTIVE APPEARANCE.....AND DISHED OUT SOME RATHER UNFESTIVE COMMENTS. “It was a pure coup, one big coup. And that has succeeded He’s the puppet master who pulls all the strings. All the other ministers are marionettes. Schäuble is the grandmaster of the Eurogroup. He decides who becomes the president, he determines the agenda, he controls everything.” He can’t make any decisions without calling Schäuble.” Varoufakis makes sure no Xmas cards will be exchanged with some of his ex #euro group colleagues https://t.co/FHMxPFQQ37 #Greece Continue reading...