Category: Applied economics

Labour’s ‘free broadband’ would come at a heavy price

The Labour Party has set out plans “to deliver fast and free full-fibre broadband for all by bringing parts of BT into public ownership and creating a new British Broadband public service”. This is bad economics. There is no doubt that the wider availability of broadband would be a ‘good thing’. Indeed, the case was … Continue reading Labour’s ‘free broadband’ would come at a heavy price →

What would Boris’ deal mean for the economy?

According to Brexit pessimists, the UK economy is already as much as 3% smaller than it would have been if the UK had voted to remain in the EU, and the deal that Boris Johnson’s government has negotiated could reduce GDP by another 7% over the next ten years. Fortunately, neither of these numbers stands … Continue reading What would Boris’ deal mean for the economy? →

Schools presentation on fiscal and monetary policy

Here is a presentation I gave on 9th October at a schools conference for A-level economics students, covering topics such as austerity, fiscal multipliers and quantitative easing... Schools presentation on fiscal and monetary policy 9 Oct 2019

Yellowhammer misses the mark

After a lot of hype, the Operation Yellowhammer briefing has failed to substantiate the warnings of 'chaos' if the UK leaves the EU without a formal Withdrawal Agreement. The published report appears to be an honest attempt to identify the potential risks of a no-deal Brexit, in order that the government can prepare for and … Continue reading Yellowhammer misses the mark →