My Blog
Economic Research Council talk: why are so many economists opposed to Brexit?
Economic Research Council talk on Monday 20th February 18.30 – 20.00: I will be discussing why so many economists are opposed
The NHS will never have enough cash: the English religion needs reformation
We British like traditions. A well-established one which comes round every year is the “winter crisis” in the NHS. Health
Why do bad companies stay in business for so long? Just ask an economist
A bookseller in the Yorkshire Dales has hit the headlines, branded a “shopkeeper from hell”. He called a customer a
What Dirty Harry tells us about economic forecasters’ Michael Fish moment
Economic forecasters are in the dock. Last week, none other than the chief economist of the Bank of England, Andy
Farewell to the game theory master who helped prevent a nuclear apocalypse
Last year was a year of celebrity deaths. But perhaps the most significant of all received very little coverage. Just
The death of cash, the rise of trade unions and other eclectic 2017 predictions
It’s certainly been an eventful year. But rather than dwell on the past, what sort of things can we expect
Forget “post-truth”: A compelling vision drove Brexit and Trump triumphs
The buzz-phrase of the moment in political discussion is “post-truth”. Shell-shocked metropolitan liberals are astonished by both Brexit and Donald
Rampant corruption – not just the euro – has doomed Italy to stagnation
So farewell then, Matteo Renzi! The resignation of the Italian Prime Minister after his heavy defeat in Sunday’s referendum on
The OBR shouldn’t be expected to forecast so far into the future
Economic forecasts have become a political hot potato. The Office for Budget Responsibility’s (OBR) predictions, presented as part of the
Forward guidance is just another delusion foisted on us by mainstream macro
The governor of the Bank of England, Mark Carney, was on good form last week when he appeared at the Treasury Committee
Dump opinion polls for social media to understand people’s real preferences
So the pollsters got it wrong again. After the general election last year and then Brexit, it is perhaps not
From the NHS to Brexit, give people a choice and they’ll make a good one
A current headache for the government is the performance of the NHS, and whether it is running out of money.
The people of Burnley and Bradford have a point about the impact of immigration
The scenes as the migrant camp was cleared in Calais once again provoked bitter divisions in British society. Metropolitan luvvies
America is embracing the opportunities of AI while the rest of the world frets
The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) continues to generate concerns. The latest furore emerged at the start of this week.
Thank competition – not magical central bankers – for years of low inflation
Tempers are fraying at the highest levels of economic policy-making in the UK. Theresa May, at the Conservative Party conference,
No wonder free trade is under threat: we’re just rediscovering its losers
It had been an article of faith among economists and policy-makers that free trade is a Good Thing. Trade liberalisation was
Look to Twitter for why Britain’s economy proved Project Fear wrong
The economic data on post-Brexit Britain is beginning to emerge. We discovered last month that employment in May to July
Too many young people are wasting their time by doing worthless degrees
It’s an exciting time of the year for many young people, with some setting off to university for the first
What climate warrior Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes teaches us about punishment
Natalie Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes: don’t you just love her? One of the Black Lives Matter campaigners, our Nat caused chaos by occupying
Why the same flaws afflict economic data as political opinion polls
Who will win the US presidency? Opinion polls have got a bad name in Britain, at least. During the 2010
