My Blog
Gresham’s Law in Education: How the Bad Drove Out the Good
Young adults in England have scored almost the lowest result in the developed world in international literacy and numeracy tests.
Quis custodiet? Put the regulators on trial if they screw up
The Treasury’s amendments to the Banking Reform Bill mean that senior bankers could face up to seven years in jail
Russia: how the crisis might affect future growth
The performance of the BRIC economies over the past decade or so has been mixed. Russian growth, though impressive by
Everything is crystal clear with hindsight
Are government bonds risky? This question arose a year ago, during a meeting with my bank. I wanted a low
Alibaba: not just the Forty Thieves. China at the Cutting Edge
In the whole of the 20th century, only a few countries managed to transform themselves and join the club of rich
Is the ‘rent-seeker’ dying out?
The concept of the “rent seeker” is one of the most valuable in the whole of economics. The activity of
Can England win the World Cup?
Autumn is fast approaching. The focus of the nation’s sporting interest is switching. No sooner have our boys humiliated the Australians,
Our economic recovery is real, but what we can still learn from the US?
Some people are never satisfied. The evidence is mounting that the UK economy is now on the path to recovery.
How sticky is unemployment? Will it take three years to fall?
The views expressed by the new Bank of England Governor, Mark Carney, on interest rates and unemployment remain a hot
No interest rate changes for three years? Zero hours contracts for the Monetary Policy Committee!
The new Governor of the Bank of England, Mark Carney, said last week that interest rates will not be raised
More powerful than the most powerful earthquake: the Don Bradman phenomenon
The holiday season is in full swing, and many people are more focused on cricket than on the state of
Recovery and summer are in the air, but doom mongers still lurk
The GDP growth figures announced last week for the second quarter of this year have sent most people away on
No free lunch. Defaults today mean less jam tomorrow
Potential defaults in the Euro zone have been in the news again. In Portugal, the ruling coalition parties and the main
Ignore the IMF: There’s no reason for its ludicrous forecasts to change sentiment
The economics department of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is up to its old tricks again – changing its mind.
You wait for one bus then three come at once: Andy Murray and economic recessions
So Andy Murray becomes the first Briton to win the men’s singles for 77 years. When might we expect the next
Global Business Interview with Peter Day
I was recently interviewed by Peter Day on his ‘Global Business’ programme, The programme was first aired last Saturday (6th
Always Look on the Bright Side
The American economic recovery carries on apace, with a net rise in employment of almost half a million over the
Banging up bankers is the wrong punishment – it won’t change behaviour
The behaviour of the banking sector in the run up to the crash is still very much in the public
Car crash on the Office for National Statistics website… Is it cos I is Welsh?
The website of the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has recently been re-designed. A perfectly functional, low tech website has been
Quality counts: Marshall-Lerner and the trade balance
The balance of trade does not attract much attention these days. Maybe it should. The UK has run a deficit in
