The unprecedented 20.4 per cent slump in UK GDP in a single month is obviously headline news, but still needs to be put in context. There are three key points. First, the April numbers are old news – about two months old. That’s an awful long time during a rapidly evolving crisis like this. Indeed, … Continue reading It could have been worse
Author: julianhjessop
A deeper dive into the OECD’s forecasts
On Wednesday the OECD’s latest Economic Outlook presented a relatively downbeat assessment of the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the global economy (more ‘U’ than ‘V’). The report also flagged up some specific concerns about the vulnerability of the UK, which prompted some particularly gloomy headlines here. But is the OECD on to anything … Continue reading A deeper dive into the OECD’s forecasts
Should the voting age be lowered to 16?
On 9th June I gave a presentation (as a VTalk) for Speakers for Schools on whether the minimum voting age in UK-wide elections and referendums should be lowered to 16. Here are the slides... Speakers for Schools Presentation on Voting Age (9th June 2020) And here is a link to the talk itself... Julian Jessop … Continue reading Should the voting age be lowered to 16?
Now is the time for the Government to make the bold decision to do less
Rishi Sunak is having a relatively good crisis. The Chancellor and his team certainly deserve plenty of credit for the way the Treasury has shielded the large majority of businesses and jobs during an unprecedented slump in economic activity. But this task has been made easier by the broad consensus on the appropriate policies and … Continue reading Now is the time for the Government to make the bold decision to do less
Plain-speaking Economics 