My Blog
Get the Bank of England focused on the real economy
Economic policy is returning to its usual position of prominence. Fears of a major rise in unemployment are starting to
What can we learn from the Black Death? Be prepared, trust entrepreneurs, and have faith
Can we learn from history? An excellent book by Ben Gummer on the Black Death in fourteenth century Britain, The
Covid crisis has exposed the Scottish nationalists once again
In London, the Covid virus is disappearing rapidly. Hospital trusts are increasingly reporting days with no new cases at all.
Crisis could be a chance to change education for the better
In the mid-19th century, Japan was an impoverished feudal backwater. A fleet of American warships totally humiliated their navy, and compelled
The unions stand on the precipice
Len McCluskey, the leader of the trade union Unite, probably did as much as anybody to ensure Boris Johnson’s massive
Mythbusting coronavirus is vital for life to go back to normal
As the government plans the timetable for getting Britain back to work, opinion polls continue to show strong support for
Coronavirus: Fake news that an elderly lockdown is remainer revenge could spread
The attention of policy makers has been focused on the science of how viruses either spread or are contained in
Coronavirus: NHS staff are let down by bureaucracy
The praise for health workers dealing with Covid-19 is universal. From cleaners and porters to the most distinguished consultant, all
Coronavirus: Economists have a role to play in recovery
Lockdowns are starting to be eased in Europe. Austria, Denmark, Italy and Spain are all moving back towards normality. At
Coronavirus: A traffic light loosening gives the economy hope
The strategy of exiting from the lockdown is far too important to be left in the hands of health professionals.
Once we reach a social distancing tipping point, more restrictions won’t help at all
How long should the lockdown last? Should it be tightened or relaxed? An abstract concept from both epidemiology and network
This pandemic may lead to more trade barriers, but is that such a bad thing? Opinion
The current crisis dominates everything, from trade to everyday life. But, within a relatively short space of time, it will
To pay for this crisis, the government must keep in mind Ricardian equivalence
John Maynard Keynes could certainly craft a neat phrase. In the Second World War, he wrote in his pamphlet How
How mathematical models attempt to predict the spread of disease
The various pronouncements on coronavirus are a source of puzzlement to many. On the one hand there are lurid predictions
Priti Patel vs. Philip Rutnam: It’s in Britain’s interest that bureaucracy does not win
The reverberations around the resignation of Sir Philip Rutnam, the top civil servant at the Home Office, continue. Priti Patel,
Citizens assemblies are no solution to the climate challenge — we need innovation
At first sight, long-term swings in individual seats in Australian elections are a definite niche interest, one for the real
Time for the Treasury to get with the programme — Britain can afford to spend
In the days of the old Soviet Union, so-called Kremlinologists would pore over every utterance of the Politburo, every sentence
Let the Iowa fiasco serve as a warning — new technology isn’t always the answer Opinion
Last week, the entire world witnessed the shambles of the vote counting in the Iowa Democratic caucus. It should have
The ‘graduate premium’ is little more than a myth — invest in further education instead
Universities and their students are seldom out of the news. Ever since Tony Blair pledged to send 50 per cent
Want to level up the UK? Look at disparity within the regions, not just between them
It is a truth which has rapidly become universally acknowledged (to borrow Jane Austen’s famous phrase) that the government must
