Ever since the 2016 referendum, Brexit pessimists have been highlighting the damage that they think has already been done to UK GDP by the vote to leave. This narrative is looking increasingly tired. Indeed, last year the UK economy actually grew faster than its peers in the rest of the EU. Now that Brexit is … Continue reading Has Brexit Britain turned the corner?
Category: Applied economics
Why zero-hours contracts are a good thing
The news that the number of people working on zero-hours contracts has risen to a new record high has prompted fresh calls for a ban. If you're employed on one of these contracts and like it, tough. How on earth did we come to this? To recap, a 'zero-hours contract' is simply a form of … Continue reading Why zero-hours contracts are a good thing
In defence of GDP
It’s increasingly popular to criticise GDP as a measure of the success of an economy. Indeed, New Zealand’s ‘Wellbeing Budget’ of 2019 was widely praised as a ‘world first’ for its emphasis on a range of other metrics. It wouldn’t surprise me if Rishi Sunak is encouraged to adopt similar language in his first Budget … Continue reading In defence of GDP
Is the ‘Brexit bounce’ the real deal?
Economists are divided on whether there will be a significant boost to the UK economy from a reduction in Brexit uncertainty. I’m optimistic and expect growth to accelerate over the course of 2020 and beyond. Others are not, arguing that the best we can expect is more certainty of a bad outcome. Here’s a summary … Continue reading Is the ‘Brexit bounce’ the real deal?
Plain-speaking Economics 