A little knowledge of macroeconomics is a very useful thing if you're claiming to be a social policy expert
Wednesday, February 28th, 2024I did a pre-record interview for Times Radio last night, which went out sometime after 10 o’clock, but I admit I did not listen to
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Of course people are angry: we have totally useless politicians whose sole aim is to destroy government services. Why wouldn’t people be angry?
Monday, February 26th, 2024There is a very strong feeling of ‘do we have to go through all that again?’ At the start of this week. Last week brought
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What is wrong with wanting a better world for those who are suffering?
Friday, February 23rd, 2024I am sickened by the reaction to events in parliament this week. I am appalled that those who want a ceasefire so that a civilian
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HMRC have deliberately taken tax collection out of our communities and the price that we are paying for that is very high
Wednesday, February 21st, 2024I am continuing to work on data from HM Revenue & Customs on its accounts, the tax gap and other issues related to its management
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Labour's tribalism makes it a profoundly small minded party. And small-mindedness is the enemy of most things of value, including peace.
Monday, February 19th, 2024As the Guardian has noted this morning, Keir Starmer said this yesterday to the Scottish Labour conference: I have just returned from the Munich security
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The reality of fiscal headroom is that the UK has large amounts of it available - but only if the governmment is willing to spend more
Friday, February 16th, 2024I had discussions with other economists yesterday, in which issues like fiscal headroom were on the table for debate. I wrote about this issue very
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Sunak promoted everything that created a recession. It is his, by design.
Friday, February 16th, 2024The National newspaper in Scotland asked me for a reaction to the news that the UK was in recession yesterday. I had precisely fifteen minutes
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What is the value of spotting that we are in recession after it has happened?
Thursday, February 15th, 2024As the Office for National Statistics has announced this morning: UK gross domestic product (GDP) is estimated to have fallen by 0.3% in Quarter 4
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The December inflation figure is just fodder to let the Bank of England keep interest rates high for as long as possible
Wednesday, February 14th, 2024As the Office for National Statistics has reported this morning: The Consumer Prices Index (CPI) rose by 4.0% in the 12 months to December 2023,
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