Economics
In Praise of Sweatshops
In today’s Telegraph David Blair has a strong and angry piece arguing that we – that is, western consumers – are complicit in or partially responsible for the deaths of… Continue reading
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China’s GDP shock may be good for everyone in the long run
Is the Chinese economy for turning? The country has reported a ‘shock’ GDP growth of only 7.7 per cent for the fourth quarter. Yes, I know — if only Britain could… Continue reading
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Margaret Thatcher in six graphs
With the debate swirling about Margaret Thatcher’s legacy and her government’s record, it’s worth taking a look at what the cold, hard economic data has to say about her time… Continue reading
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Osborne’s coup: Mark Carney is the new Bank of England Governor
Hiring Mark Carney may just be George Osborne’s best move since becoming Chancellor. Britain badly needed a break from the failed economic consensus which still hangs around the Bank of… Continue reading
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Why George Osborne’s ‘Plan A’ has failed – and what to do next
Does George Osborne need to adopt a Plan B? This will be the topic for a Spectator debate a week on Monday. But the argument is pretty clear to everyone… Continue reading
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The poverty of economics
The IMF’s growth downgrades will make tomorrow’s newspaper headlines but the more striking point is its decision to massively rewrite British economic history. As Citi’s Michael Saunders notes (PDF), the… Continue reading
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Africa’s growth spurt
When South African police opened fire on striking miners at Lonmin’s Marikana platinum mine, it had all of the hallmarks of the bad old days of the continent – the… Continue reading
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Coffee House interview: Roger Bootle
Roger Bootle is managing director of Capital Economics, and winner of the Wolfson Economics Prize. As the government launches another attempt at boosting UK growth, the economist, who describes himself… Continue reading
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Sir John Cowperthwaite and the wisdom of positive non-intervention - Spectator Blogs
In a recent piece Stephanie Flanders, the BBC’s economics editor, pondered how the UK economy could be adding jobs while, according to the figures, shrinking by 0.7% during the second… Continue reading
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Who will rule the 21st century?
This is a nice big question to ponder on the holiday beach or in the rented villa. A vast amount has already been written on the rise of China and… Continue reading
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Osborne needs to give the Lib Dems sleepless nights on supply-side reform
Ed Balls is doing very well out of the GDP figures that were released on Wednesday. The Shadow Chancellor is right to say that George Osborne is not yet doing… Continue reading
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A tale of two economies
While our economy was contracting by 0.7 per cent, America’s was growing by 0.4 per cent, according to the first estimate just released by the US Bureau of Economic Analysis.… Continue reading
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GDP figures show the economy needs fundamental reform
Today’s GDP figures are far worse than expected. They mean that the economy has now shrunk for three consecutive quarters. The figures have destroyed the optimism created by the fact… Continue reading
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GDP down 0.7% in Q2
The ONS’s first estimate of GDP in Q2 of 2012 shows a 0.7 per cent fall on Q1. It’s worth remembering that this is just a preliminary estimate and subject to revision… Continue reading
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Across the literary pages
Any idea what an Ouroboros is? It’s not the name of the cloud hanging over London at the moment but, according to Will Wilkinson, in his review of Joseph Stiglitz’s… Continue reading
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Friedman’s genius
Milton Friedman would have been 100 later this month, and there is likely to be much commemoration – much of it nostalgia for an era where the right had a… Continue reading
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Shelf Life special: The Skidelskys
Robert and Edward Skidelsky have written a new book for our times, How Much Is Enough? The Love of Money, and the Case for the Good Life, which is published… Continue reading
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There are economic reasons to cut the state, irrespective of the deficit
Treasury Select Committee Chairman Andrew Tyrie recently explained he would support cutting back the size of the state even if our public finances were in balance. I doubt whether the… Continue reading
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Eurozone v Facebook — which is the economic model of our time?
Even as our attention is gripped by a crumbling eurozone, another huge economic entity is emerging in the marketplace — Facebook, which has just upsized its number of IPO shares… Continue reading
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A plan that could change the face of future Budgets
‘I’ve never seen a government document with a Laffer curve in it before’, declared Ed Balls last week. Well it looks like he might be seeing a lot more of… Continue reading
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