Author: julianhjessop

Expensive energy, not Brexit, explains why Britain is stagnating

UK industry has struggled for years under the burden of relatively high electricity costs The stream of bad news about energy shows no sign of ending. Last month the regulator Ofgem confirmed that the cap on domestic bills will rise by another 4% in October, despite the temporary removal of VAT from the cost of … Continue reading Expensive energy, not Brexit, explains why Britain is stagnating →

Weekly wrap – No, Prime Minister…

Including thoughts on why Andy Burnham is wrong about “austerity” and Brexit, on bonds and the Budget, and on why the construction sector is such a good bellwether of the success of Labour’s policies... Theme of the Week On Tuesday Andy Burnham addressed MPs on the direction in which he hopes to lead the country. This … Continue reading Weekly wrap – No, Prime Minister… →

Weekly wrap – Lies, damn lies, and “Brexit exclusives”

Including thoughts on why young people aren’t working, the folly of rent controls, the outlook for energy bills, the possibility of a 2027 general election, and more “fake news” to call out in The Independent. Theme of the Week I have spent a lot of time over the last few years trying to debunk “fake … Continue reading Weekly wrap – Lies, damn lies, and “Brexit exclusives” →

What’s really behind the slump in graduate job vacancies?

University leavers face a perfect storm: general economic uncertainty, competition from AI, the erosion of the graduate premium - and bad government policy choices that look set to get even worse... There has been plenty of commentary today around new data published by the recruitment website, Adzuna. These headlines were typical: “Graduate job vacancies drop … Continue reading What’s really behind the slump in graduate job vacancies? →