My Blog
Starmer’s labour market reforms will put people out of work
Keir Starmer’s Labour Party is frequently criticised for the lack of detail around most of its policy pronouncements. One area
The history of rail suggests renationalisation will make little difference
Getting the railways to function properly has been a problem ever since they were first invented. The opening ceremony of
Have we passed peak electric car?
This week I got rid of my electric car. As a car, it was a pleasure to drive. I also enjoyed the
Beneath the jargon, Bernanke delivers devastating critique of the Bank of England
Last week, Ben Bernanke, former chairman of the US Federal Reserve Bank and Nobel Laureate in economics, published his review
Scotland’s risible hate crime law is an incentive for the police to fail
The Scottish hate crime law has been a prominent feature in the media ever since it came into force just
As Derby’s historic rail industry declines, it should look to Redcar for a model of letting go
Derby has been a place where rail locomotives and rolling stock have been built for the best part of two
The big challenge isn’t funding public services, it’s making them productive
There’s no shortage of special interest groups placing demands on the public purse. But with limited funds available, we must
What if the OBR too optimistic about growth?
The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) published its economic and fiscal outlook document in conjunction with Jeremy Hunt’s budget statement on 6
For once, Humza Yousaf has set an example other politicians should follow
Humza Yousaf, the First Minister of Scotland, does not often attract plaudits. But last week he overrode the advice of
Tech is in turmoil – but there is an upside
The Greek god Chronos, known as Saturn to the Romans, was notorious for eating his own children. Something similar seems
Interest rates aren’t as influential as you think
Criticising the Bank of England has become fashionable in City circles. From persisting too long with quantitative easing, to completely
Ricardian Equivalence and why Britain’s really in a recession
News that we have entered a technical recession will come as no surprise to anyone who has even a passing acquaintance with
There’s a solution to dire public services: make our public sector more productive
Pre-election blows are being traded with increasing ferocity by both the main parties. Do the costs of Labour’s energy policies
Academics publishing pointless papers is another sign of a dire crisis in universities
Universities in the UK have received bad press in the past week or so. It was revealed that many of
Marriage: Romantics bemoan its demise but so should economists
The dramatic erosion of marriage in the UK is one of the key social changes of the late 20th and early
Port Talbot closure highlights uncomfortable truth about clinging onto the past
The decision by Tata Steel to shut the blast furnaces at the steelworks in Port Talbot, South Wales, has provoked
They may be annoying, but Gen Z’s quarter life gap years are economically rational
Generation Z has been getting a lot of bad press recently. Allegations that they enjoy “quiet quitting” and boast of
A look at Germany shows the UK’s growth problem is not a Brexit phenomenon
We English are notoriously bad at languages. But, like magpies, rather than bothering to make the effort, we steal words
May Cameron’s Wellbeing Unit rest in peace, money can buy happiness after all
Last month, the government announced that the What Works Centre for Wellbeing, set up with great fanfare by David Cameron
Tougher borders won’t stop Britain from being overwhelmed by illegal migration
Last weekend, at his meeting with the Italian prime minister Georgia Meloni, Rishi Sunak claimed migrants were threatening to “overwhelm” countries
