My Blog
Recent Conservative governments have been more left wing than Attlee
Here’s a Christmas quiz: Which has been Britain’s most left-wing government? According to Paul Ormerod, it’s not the one you
It may already be too late for Labour
The popularity of the Labour party has plunged since the election, and history tells that once a certain narrative has
It’s time for England to stop subsidising Scotland and Wales
The devolved nations are living on another planet economically because England essentially pays for their deficits. This has to stop,
It’s not as easy to count the number of ‘working people’ as you might think
How many people are employed in the UK today? This is not just a question in a pub quiz for
Office for Value for Money: Can more bureaucracy really improve productivity?
The public sector’s productivity record is abysmal, and Rachel Reeves’ new Office for Value for Money shows she knows it.
Investment can boost growth – if it comes with technological progress
The need to boost the UK’s rate of economic growth was a central theme of the first budget delivered by
How will the bond markets react to the Budget?
For all the government’s promises of stability and hoped-for reductions in interest rates, UK yields on government bonds are now,
Borrowing to invest is all very well but what about value for money?
The precise contents of the budget are still secret. But a widely trailed theme is that the Chancellor, Rachel Reeves,
Will carbon capture work? Nobody knows – and that’s the problem
The government confirmed this month the funding for the UK’s first carbon capture sites. The technology, it is claimed, captures
The threat of higher taxes is already harming growth
The Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, had made no secret of her desire to make economic growth her top policy objective. She reinforced
The main task of the next Tory leader is to repaint the party’s image
Since the election in July, Starmers have been the stock to short. In the middle of that month, the Prime
A lesson from King Canute for the EV transition: You can’t force hype
The total victory of the electric car is in sight. For the first time ever, the total number of all-electric cars on the
Haldane is right – the Chancellor’s doom-mongering is dangerous
The Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, often mentions her experience as an economist at the Bank of England. But she has been
Is there such a thing as a ‘fair’ price? Definitely, maybe…
The pricing of tickets for the forthcoming Oasis tour has stirred up a major controversy. This is not just on
Spending without productivity improvements won’t lead to better public services
The decision by the government to stuff money into the bank accounts of the train drivers and junior doctors has
Do long prison sentences work? Economics has the answer
Does prison deter crime? The recent riots have rather left the government facing both ways on the matter. On the
Don’t be so quick to dismiss the ‘doped Olympics’ – at least they’re honest
Despite all the glitches and the controversies, the Olympics have provided a great spectacle of skill and prowess. Not least
Crawling back to the EU after Brexit will only end badly for Britain
Clear signals are being emitted by Keir Starmer’s government on the European Union (EU). A much closer relationship is being
The great student loans swindle
The university sector in the UK is in financial trouble. The annual fee of £9,250 paid by British students has
It’s the energy price stupid
The scale of the Conservative defeat in the election has been amply documented. But what has been mentioned much less
