Author: julianhjessop

Why I’d vote against the cuts to UK aid

MPs will hopefully soon have the chance to vote on whether the UK should restore spending on foreign aid to the mandated level of 0.7% of GNI (gross national income). This is surely the right thing to do. First, the arguments in favour of cutting the target to 0.5% are weak. The Government’s case is … Continue reading Why I’d vote against the cuts to UK aid →

Forget Bitcoin’s latest collapse, digital currencies are still the future

The latest slump in the prices of Bitcoin (and many of its peers) has put a serious dent in their credibility as a reliable means of payment, let alone as a store of value or a sound investment. But this is certainly not the end for digital currencies. If anything, the crash in the prices … Continue reading Forget Bitcoin’s latest collapse, digital currencies are still the future →

Britain should welcome cheaper food from Australia, not tax it

Opposition to tariff-free access to UK markets for Australian farmers is protectionism, pure and simple. Minette Batters, president of the National Farmers Union (NFU), argues that removing tariffs would make it ‘all but impossible’ for British family farms ‘to compete with vast volumes of imports from the southern hemisphere produced in a very different manner’. … Continue reading Britain should welcome cheaper food from Australia, not tax it →