Better late than never, as they say. New data shows that the Conservative government has finally hit its original target … Continue reading “The chancellor shouldn’t turn on the spending taps”

So much for US Republicans starving the government beast. When the party’s major tax reform package passed in December, Democrats … Continue reading “US Republicans have given up any pretence of fiscal conservatism”

The launches of the Conservative manifesto and Donald Trump’s first budget could not have been more different in tone. Theresa … Continue reading “Fiscal restraint is dead – on both sides of the Pond”

Every once in a while, an idea turns from captivating to dominating – pushing all others into the back seat, … Continue reading “Scotland’s main problems are homemade. With or without independence, they need to clean up their act”

Chancellor Philip Hammond will take to the despatch box today to deliver his Budget. The media will pore over the … Continue reading “The US and UK are failing to confront the long-term drivers of explosive debt growth”

Pragmatism was the order of the day at Conservative Party conference today – especially from the Chancellor of the Exchequer, … Continue reading “Hammond ditches the good bits, and keeps the bad bits of ‘Osbornomics’”

The statement was, at best, ambiguous. Its political consequences more profound. George Osborne said he will not hit his target … Continue reading “Our new Prime Minister must resist the temptation of Keynesianism and maintain fiscal sanity”

On 12th June, the Guardian published a letter from 79 economists, including David Blanchflower, Thomas Piketty, Mariana Mazzucato and Ha-Joon … Continue reading “Closed-minded economists”

Simon Wren-Lewis, a professor at Oxford and an active blogger, is a long-standing opponent of the Coalition’s economic strategy.  He … Continue reading “Would any amount of government borrowing count as ‘enough’ for Simon Wren-Lewis?”