My Blog
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
Start-ups and spin-outs: The secret ingredients to growth
Going into the election tomorrow, the two main parties agree on a crucial issue. Economic growth is needed to achieve their
Keir Starmer could be more like Harold Wilson than Tony Blair
Labour’s massive lead in the opinion polls is generating many parallels with the 1997 election. Will Keir Starmer end up
We can’t borrow our way back to growth
This week’s manifesto launches have made the poor state of the public finances clear – simply put, there’s very little
We’re still paying for lockdown, so why is no one talking about it?
To borrow a famous phrase from Karl Marx, a spectre is haunting the election campaign. Despite the frantic efforts by
Economic performance under Labour and Conservative governments: a reckoning
The election campaign has kicked off and already the air is thick with promises and counter-promises. Despite all the efforts
Does Manchester City prove you can buy success?
So Manchester City won the Premiership yet again. Four in a row has been widely trumpeted, and it is also
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
