Brexiteers can be forgiven for indulging in a little ‘schadenfreude’ at the news that the EU has agreed the principles of a trade deal with the US on worse terms than the UK was able to achieve. Nonetheless, there are very few winners here. For a start, a final agreement is still some way off. … Continue reading US-EU trade ‘deal’ avoids an even worse outcome, but this is still little to cheer
Category: Applied economics
One and a half cheers for Rachel Reeves!
The Chancellor has a taxing job (pun intended), but we all deserve a break occasionally. So, I’m going to be positive about her latest Mansion House speech. Admittedly, there is nothing here to justify the hype about a new ‘Big Bang. The so-called ‘Leeds Reforms’ (in a nod to Reeves’ constituency) are little more than a … Continue reading One and a half cheers for Rachel Reeves!
Labour’s first year report – ‘tries hard, but results still poor’
One year on, the Labour government elected in July 2024 is claiming three big wins on the economy. Unfortunately, these are little to shout about. The first is the large increases in the National Minimum Wage (NMW). This simply maintained the last government's policy of raising the full NMW to two-thirds of median earnings and extending it … Continue reading Labour’s first year report – ‘tries hard, but results still poor’
The UK economy’s strong start to the year was a flash in the pan (reprise)
On Monday the Office for National Statistics (ONS) confirmed that the UK economy grew by 0.7% in the first quarter of the year, as measured by Gross Domestic Product (GDP). That may sound impressive and was certainly better than most had expected a few months earlier. But unfortunately, it was as good as it gets. … Continue reading The UK economy’s strong start to the year was a flash in the pan (reprise)
Plain-speaking Economics 