My Blog
How much should you pay to see Billie Eilish? Don’t ask St Thomas Aquinas
Thomas Aquinas argued for the concept of a “just price”, but when it comes to concert tickets the correct price
Farage has a point, the UK should stop subsidising Scotland
It may have lost him the byelection, but Nigel Farage has a point about Scottish spending, writes Paul Ormerod Last
From rare bees to miners’ pensions, money is now no object in parliament
Miners’ pensions, indigenous rights, the shrill carder bee – parliament and the public have lost touch with the reality of
Protecting against cyber attacks means tackling rational inattention
Cybersecurity, highlighted by recent attacks on the Co-op and Marks & Spencer, is not just a technical challenge but also
What Rachel Reeves can learn from Geoffrey Howe
In 1981, Geoffrey Howe defied Keynesian orthodoxy by tightening fiscal policy during a recession – and completely changed the narrative
UK universities should focus on excellence, not DEI
The UK university sector won’t solve it’s financial problems by prioritising diversity goals over research quality, says Paul Ormerod The
Is choosing not to work a rational response to economic conditions?
Economic theory teaches that people will make the optimal allocation of their time between work and leisure, and if they
If the ONS can’t measure productivity, how are we meant to improve it?
The ONS’s shortcomings are far from trivial, its bad maths is holding back the UK economy, writes Paul Ormerod The
Method in Trump’s madness? What economic theory teaches us about tariffs
Trump’s tariffs have sent the world into a frenzy but there could be method yet. Economic theory shows that tariffs
Reeves’ black hole alarmism is creating something scarier: A real one
Reeves’ fearmongering has scared Brits into saving. The consequences will be more frightening than Reeves’ ‘black hole’, writes Paul Ormerod
Spring Statement: Reeves should abolish the OBR
By strengthening the OBR, Reeves has created severe difficulties for herself. Vital decisions about our economic future should be made
The bond markets must not be allowed block defence spending
The Treasury has pledged an extra £2bn for UK exporters to secure overseas defence orders. The Germans are funding increased
If crises are the test of a nation, Western Europe is failing
The financial crisis and the pandemic have shown how Western Europe deals with crises. And it’s not pretty, writes Paul
What ever happened to levelling up?
Levelling up has all but disappeared from the government’s agenda. That’s a big mistake for growth, writes Paul Ormerod Later
The West has been free riding on US defence spending
Western nations have been free riders on American defence spending for decades. We shouldn’t be surprised Trump is now calling
I’m sorry Ed Miliband, your big green energy plan is all fantasy
Ed Miliband’s green vision is admirable, but the history of energy consumption shows it is all but a fantasy, writes
Yes, AI will wipe out some jobs. But this is the story of progress
AI will inevitably make some jobs redundant, but the benefits to society are far worth it, writes Paul Ormerod The
Starmer must remember humans respond to incentives, not rules
Rules are important to any civilised society, but Starmer has forgotten that humans respond far better to incentives, writes Paul
Reeves has placed an uncertainty premium on the British economy
Rachel Reeves promised to restore economic stability, but the outcome of her various actions has been to increase uncertainty, says
Forget the big infrastructure projects, SMEs are the key to unlocking growth
Dear Chancellor, forget the big infrastructure projects. Boosting the productivity of SMEs is the key to growth, writes Paul Ormerod
