David Ricardo, the classical economist has been dead for nearly 200 years – but his insights and theories remain immeasurably … Continue reading “Ricardo’s ideas are as indispensable today as they were 200 years ago”

From fears that a trade agreement with the US will lead to an American takeover of the NHS, to hand-wringing … Continue reading “Most arguments against a UK-US free trade deal are based on snobbery and anti-Americanism”

During the 2015 General Election, Ed Miliband’s flagship pledge to cap energy prices was derided by conservatives as a deranged … Continue reading “Let the market fix the housing problem”

Giles Coren hates Jane Austen. So much, in fact, that he’s written a searing thinkpiece, argued with David Baddiel on the … Continue reading “The economics of Jane Austen”

Continued from here.   The Hat Tax Astonishingly, hats were subject to a special sales tax between 1784 and 1811, … Continue reading “Stupid taxes are nothing new – but that doesn’t make them any less stupid (Part 2)”

“Nothing is certain in life except death and taxes”, as Benjamin Franklin’s old maxim goes. That’s especially true here in … Continue reading “Stupid taxes are nothing new – but that doesn’t make them any less stupid (Part 1)”

Since last year’s EU referendum, the 52% of Britons who voted Leave have faced a concerted attempt by many commentators … Continue reading “Are Brexit voters really less intelligent than Remainers?”

The launch of a US/UK Working Group to discuss the future economic relationships between the two countries marks another important … Continue reading “US edging towards the front of the queue for a trade deal with the UK”

A few days ago, a YouGov survey asked people whether they thought that “a genuinely socialist government” would make Britain … Continue reading “Socialism: Doomed before it begins”