There has been the usual blizzard of commentary on last Wednesday’s Budget – most of it negative – which continued over the weekend. For chapter and miserable verse, try the IFS or the Resolution Foundation. This piece will reflect instead on three positives and offer a quick verdict on some of the individual announcements. The … Continue reading A ‘glass half full’ take on the Budget
Category: Applied economics
We need more serious conversations about both tax and spending
The run-up to the March Budget has seen the usual flurry of rumours about how much room Jeremy Hunt has for tax cuts and what he might do with it. This time, however, there is also a growing consensus that the current fiscal framework is not fit for purpose – and that we need to … Continue reading We need more serious conversations about both tax and spending
A manifesto for growth
One positive legacy from the brief premiership of Liz Truss is that politicians are finally talking about the importance of economic growth. Unfortunately, there is little agreement on how to turn this talk into action. My manifesto would be based on four priorities: rebooting productivity; removing blockages that add to the cost of living; improving … Continue reading A manifesto for growth
Two forecasts for 2024: 2% inflation in April and 4% interest rates by year-end
The tick up in UK CPI inflation to 4.0% in December last year was an unwelcome surprise, but one small miss in one month’s data does not change the big picture. For a start, inflation is still lower than the Bank of England had been forecasting. The November Monetary Policy Report assumed that inflation would … Continue reading Two forecasts for 2024: 2% inflation in April and 4% interest rates by year-end
Plain-speaking Economics 