One of the comments made over the last few days is that if I want to increase the reach of this blog it needs a new name.
Way back in 2006, when the story began, most articles were on tax. These days, most are not.
So, a poll follows.
But what should a new name be? I tried this:
That is a lot more accurate now. But is there something better?
And, for those concerned, the web address would not change. That is far too embedded for anything to happen to it.
Should the blog be renamed?
- Yes, to Political Economy UK (34%, 152 Votes)
- Yes, but to something else (31%, 139 Votes)
- I'm abstaining, but show me the results anyway (12%, 53 Votes)
- Yes (12%, 52 Votes)
- No, it works as it is (11%, 49 Votes)
Total Voters: 445
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Something mission based and taking a lead out of the Tory 3 word slogan thing might be good.
Something like:
Change UK Now
Make UK Fair
Make our Economy work
Fix UK (sounds like a DIY collective)
None of those seem right but you get the gist, short phrase about you goals that chimes with the young. “Political economy UK” seems like a list of things the young probably feel disenfranchised from.
I am too passive!
Something mission based would put off all ex-labour readers. Isn’t that the Starmer cause now? 5 missions.
“Fix UK” is a good demonstration of the need to check any new name for acronyms 🙂
Triumph Of The Will
How many times has my suggestion come up in discussion here this last week? Too frequently to not ignore, I think.
The Courageous State
I hear you!
Murphy’s lore? Or perhaps There is an alternative.
🙂
Modern
Money
Matters
I like that
Real Economics
Courageous State
Links to your past, and Courageous has appeal to many. Even as we remember Sir Humphrey!
Interesting…
What about:
Political Economy UK – Radical Possibilities
Thanks
I’d vote for “The Courageous State”. It was a good title when you first used it, and its a good title now.
Thanks
How about something along the lines of “Mile End Road Economics” with Dr B’s permission ofc?
The trouble is not everyone gets the joke
Public Affairs
State Matters
Death and taxes
Murphy’s Law
Political Hacks
Political Mayhem
Ballot Box
Ballot Bollocks
Filibustering
The National Interest
None really works for me….
It has to be ‘The Courageous State’. This entirely encompasses the social structure so many of us would like to see and, I would suggest, mysterious enough to provoke the interest of the young and uninitiated.
Richard,
Who is your audience?
People who wish to know about how the economy really works, including lay people, politicians, journalists and students who feel the explanations they are given in their education are inadequate
In my opinion you sell your audience short!
Layer 2:
People who have got a grip on the basics who want to explore what could be done if the politicos also understood the basics.
Layer 3:
People who care not a jot for angels on the head of a pin, but care deeply about the dearth of opportunity for the discussion of the philosophy of political economics; interacting with people who also have a regard for evidence and citation.
Thanks
yes, good idea.
you could and probably should get a matching URL for the new name though, and you could have it redirect here, or vice versa.
I happen to own Courageous State and Political Economy domains
I like Courageous State – the liberal left needs to project ‘strength’, it is way too focused on ‘vulnerable’, this is out of whack with the zeitgeist – people want to identify as courageous! Modern Money Matters also hits the nail – it’s a great title, maybe as a running line in the blog (Modern Money Matters: XXXPostTitle) for the more technical blog posts? It would be great to establish it as a meme in the discourse. #modernmoneymatters
I’d avoid anything with UK in the title as the associations are too Brexity – its UK focus will be obvious.
Some good ideas
I agree with Joanna about “avoid anything with UK in the title”. With 3 of the 4 nations of GB housing movements to leave GB, the terms ‘UK/GB’ have negative connotations for many Scots, Welsh and Irish. I like Modern
Money
Matters
but suspect it’s too topic-specific and not all-embracing enough, whereas ‘Courageous State’ covers the whole range of discussion here without being topic-specific.
Thanks, Ken
UK is a concern, it also describes where the audience is
I think MMM might be too alienating for some, and it is about more than money which is a consumer issue in many people’s minds
This blog has done a lot in terms of:
1. Going back to basics – good ideas – that have been pushed out by bad ideas based on vested interests.
2. Tried to right wrongs in terms of facts versus received wisdom and raised concerns with these faulty modes of thinking.
3. Suggested new ideas – lots of them.
4. Has been concerned with social justice in a way that puts the Labour party to shame – it is driven by a strong morality.
5. Taken a systemic approach to our economic ills – from accounting, to tax, to fiscal policy and regulation/law making – I’d call it holistic.
6. Uses high quality research and reflection as a base for its counter narrative.
I’m sure that I could add more. But how do you sum all of that in a title?
How about ‘Courageous Economics’?
Or a title that reflects just how out of kilter our politicians are with the populace?
‘Popular Economics’? (the fascist science technocrats have turned populism into a self hate phenomenon whereas populism should/could be about good ideas to make our lives better).
‘Economics for Real People’?
‘Neo-liberal Lie Termination Blog’?
‘Economics Where People Matter’?
‘Brave New Economics’?
Titles aside, this blog works for me – it is the right mix of moral sentiment and hard facts.
Thanks PSR
You could permute “Richard Murphy” “Political Economics” and something to do with morality or courage.
“Richard Murphy on Political Economics for a Courageous State”? Not snappy enough.
Um, “Political Economics for the Courageous State”. Which is, er, PECS. Oh well. Back to the drawing board!
🙂
Why not just “Richard Murphy”?. That’s what people search for.
Because that ignores the contribution everyone else makes
If you are renaming – and I do think that with the best name, you should -it is important to say something in the title that is not only different and distinctive, but also something that cannot be rejected because of old/previous/widely if diversely misleading or misrepresentable interpretations. Something that no person or group, who is ready to misunderstand can be repelled by – and something which immediatelty draws in those disillusioned with the subject and its poltical associations or spin-offs.
So…. what could that be? People are fed up and worse with the endless varieties of mess and helplessnes that they see around them, all too frequently presented as ‘economically determined’ one way or another. What people want – everyone – is a society that works. And that gives you, your new name A label that promises to be about doing just that. So….
ECONOMICS THAT WORK.
No riders, no qualifiers, no messing – just offering a way to a workable future.
Thanks
I agree with your sentiments
But this site is about political economy, not economics per se
Of course the site is not just about economics per se, Richard, but you are pondering finding a name which will open the doors to what people will find both economically and politically inspiring and enabling about the judgements to which you and your site will give them access. The very word politics/political is a problem repelling many and being viewed with not unjustified cynical distrust by most. It and its cousins are the last label you need. Your book title was excellent – but just now the word “state” will strike many and diverse misleading and discordant notes – and courage is not what most people need; they use that up day after day already.
Your unique quality has been to make a place where economic thinking has made practical, effective political sense and encouraged considerations of valuing human and social worth. All of those are areas to look for titles, but it is the capacity to make economic thinking seem practically, politically and morally valuable that seems to me this site’s singular, and most striking, achievement.
Maybe my suggestion seems too narrow to you – but to most people I think it would be a light in the darkness.
Anyway – my tuppence worth.
Noted
The question which is always asked is: How do we pay for it?
So, what about something along those lines? The question itself, or, This is how we pay for it, or How we pay for the country we want, etc.?
Too specific, I fear
Economics for people and planet.
Thanks
Interesting discussion. I liked Political Economy but that describes the content rather than the outcome you/we would like to see. That points to Courageous State as a good option but I reckon it needs an action verb – Building a Courageous State?
Noted!
The Economics of a Courageous State
Thanks
The Economy – Everything You Need To Know……and then some more!
Not as short and snappy as Political Economy, unfortunately.
Too long, I fear
In the Grauniad Gordon Brown said;
I have always thought of budgets as more than just a catalogue of figures and headline announcements: budgets are moral documents which tell us what kind of country we are and aspire to be.
So how about
The Moral Economy
Neat
‘The Moral Economy’ is quite clever – so enticingly elusive and improbable; I can visualise hands hovering over ‘enter’. The problem here is that I am not sure current readers or commenters are the appropriate judges; it is the non-readers you want to understand.
I agree
But I am not engaging expensive market research firms.
Make the Economy Great Again (MEGA) 🙂
Too close….
The Courageous State is a good one, especially as that is associated with you already. Usually with a blog you can also have a blog description underneath the main title and you have this as well.
Rethinking Economics, Society and the Role of Government.
As a description of the blog this would work with whatever name you eventually decide on.
Nicely explains what you and this blog are trying to do.
That really is going for the whole CS front cover!
For a tag-line to ‘The Courageous State’ how about something like ‘Grown-up Thinking’ which suggests serious thinking and debate without being topic-specific?
It seems a toss up between Political Economy (and variations) and Courageous State among the comments.
I vote for “Political Economy”. Whilst I think much of your thrust on this blog IS for the State to do more… it is not exclusively so.
Political Economy is broader, short and accurate.
There are more….
There may be another poll
Whichever, I think it would help to have an action verb with it. Eg:
– Building a Courageous State
– Understanding Political Economy
Whilst as I’ve said, I think Political Economy is maybe the only view of economy that really matters, it’s still a bit of a topic for the more ‘wonky’ end of the spectrum – apologies to fellow bloggers. As such it might be less appealing to those newcomers you might want to attract.
Michael Marmot last night was talking about people losing their dignity in this cost of living crisis.
It made me think of ‘The Courageous State – Bringing Back Dignity.’
I have just typed in your suggestion of Politcal Economy UK and first up comes
a website on Santander Trade, followed by a list of many other sites.
As a lay person with years of a long interest in political, current affairs and economical decisions made on our daily lives, I came across your name and current website by accident whilst reading an article in the press.
For 6 months now, you are my go to reference point to comments coming from so many sources on what I call: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.
I should appreciate if you can confirm or otherwise if a name change is to create a wider audience/readership?
Many thanks for your reports and keep up the good work.
The aim is to get a wider audience
I get all academic sites when I search
That might show my past history though
For what my opinion is worth, I think it is time to move on from ‘Tax Research UK’, which loses 90% of your potential audience, who may be just a click away; however, I think I will pass on offering my own clunky ideas which would add nothing useful.
That was good enough
Agree with JSW. When as I quite often do, I refer people to the blog, I first have to explain that its not really about Tax but about so much more.
That suggests it is time to change
Economics, Money, Politics
Fiat Looks
?
Courageous? Hmm, I’d wander straight past something with that word in it, without much bothering to check it out. And add State to it, not really.
Brave New World? ummm – sounds familiar uh oh.
so
Brave Days?
Reflected Sounds Of Underground Spirits.
“Rapid Communications of the Economy” or
“Morning Economics News”
“The Real Political Economy”
As ever a real morning news to read. “Well done” is never enough to say.
Thanks
The Real Economy
Real Economics
Economic Reality
Thanks
I also like The Courageous State. One of the reasons I came to this blog was that although I have a strong sense of social justice, and what needs to happen to create that in our society, I was never able to engage with the economics of it and answer people when they asked “but how could we pay for that?” or “We couldn’t afford it”…
So how about The Courageous State and how to pay for it, or use the second part as a subtitle.
Hmm……..’political economy’?
Just be aware that ‘PE’ is not widely known in the public sphere – it is a technical term that many would not be familiar with?
But I totally get where you are coming from, especially if I riff off my obsession with the political science of fascism.
How about:
‘Political Economy for Harmony’ ?
‘Heterodoxy UK’?
‘New Political Economy UK’?
I am sleeping on all this
That was rather my thoughts on Political Economy. Not a term familiar to the majority of people.
Also why I was thinking about the outcome or ambition of the blog rather than a description of the contents. Hence a preference for something along the lines of Courageous State
I like The Courageous State. Two first pages of google search show it all links back to Taxresearch, which is good.
Only suggestion I would have is maybe make it “Letters from a Courageous State” , but that is just making it longer , so the shorter the better I expect.
I don’t much like ‘The Courageous State, either, though I can’t articulate why..
I quite liked Nigel Mace’s suggestion.
But , what about ‘Politics is Economics’? Or, ‘Economics and Politics’? Because the two are closely entwined and that is what your blog is about. I know that ‘Political Economy expresses the same idea, but it sounds a bit esoteric.
But perhaps it might be too simplistic for your target audience?
Thanks
Social Purpose
Social Purpose Economy
Thanks
Something that conveys ‘Economics as if People Mattered’ – but thats not a title.
An Economic fair Future.?
to aim for the younger folk and appeal to their sense of fair play?? and give them hope.
Life, the Economy and Everything
That’s quite good
Looking through all of the suggestions I think ‘Money Matters’ would strike a chord with many people of all ages and be easy to remember. I’m sure a powerful graphic/logo could easily be designed.
The ‘matters’ has 2 meanings giving a lovely play on the word… ‘subjects or situations under consideration’ or ‘to be important or significant’.
Since ‘money’ is the backbone of this blog it is the subject or situation under consideration and is also important and significant for all of us.
The trouble is, lots of people already use it
But thanks
I think it should stay as it is.
If I understand your explanation of MMT correctly, then the government can create money at will but eventually needs to bring a portion of it back as tax. Hence, the value of money is inherently connected with tax. But there are two tricks to play: First, the government can give the created money to different people then from whom it tax it back; second, it need to actually get the money back (prevent it from being “tax-optimised”). Thus, what to tax and how is an essential component of MMT.
This, I believe, the current name encompasses nicely, providing enough hints to incite an inquisitive reader but not revealing its true meaning immediately.
You understand correctly
I thought I would ask chatGPT for a suggestion; since we are in the age of “ai”.
1 Murphy’s musings
2 Progressive Perspectives
3 Current Critiques
4 Society Speaks
5 Murphy’s insights
6 The Murphy report
Of these Society Speaks sounds promising. Sound rather bland, like they came from a nu labour focus group.
I would suggest “Mile End Political Economy.”
I did not think of that approach
Most people could be interested in tax and it’s research. Political economy ranks with ‘Marxism Today’ as a disaster of a title. What on earth are you thinking?
I doubt it will be Political Economy
The Magic Money Tree
Establishment Myths and Lies Debunked
Except it’s more than that….
Its all about choices that we (or those in power) decide
So how about
Prosperity Versus Austerity
PVA – it might stick!
🙂
Exposing Political Economy fUKups
Maybe not….
I voted yes. I recommended the blog to many friends and always felt I had to explain the title. In that sense a new title would probably better. Political Economy UK is good. But I am curious with what others come up with.
I went through the comments and my short list is:
Courageous State
Courageous Economics
Rethinking Economics, Society and the Role of Government
Building a Courageous State
Understanding Political Economy
Economics, Money, Politics
My favorite three are
Courageous State
Courageous Economics
Rethinking Economics, Society and the Role of Government
and if I had to choose one, I’d take
Courageous Economics
I am not an economist but I do talk to many economists at my university. Individually they are great, but, in my personal view, the profession as a whole lacks the courage to tackle the problems of today. Partly, I believe, the reason is that the simple solutions they cherish (toy models, equilbria, markets, competition, etc) do not (at least in an obvious way) help addressing the many collective action problems that are central to this blog (inequality, climate change, economics and ethics, etc). So, to summarize, I see Courageous Economics as both a challenge to mainstream economics and as showing good will to engage with the mainstream (which is, as far as I understand, the main reason for thinking about changing the name of the blog).
From your list I liked Economics, Money and Politics
Reading your comments on how so much economics is practised today prompted me to think of:
‘Economics with a Heart’
As practised, too much economics has become a heartless utilitarianism, the price of everything and the value of nothing.
If the aim of the blog is to educate people about economics in its widest sense, then to attract people perhaps the title needs to send a message with a bit of emotional appeal.
Steve Keens podcast, Debunking Economics, is highly recommended but is essentially negative. I think Richard is trying to describe a different kind of economics. One that has a ‘heart’. Things could be different and better. In how we create ‘wealth’, tax it and spend it.
I am solution focussed