The lead in Sunday’s Observer (7th February) was ‘Fury at Gove as exports to EU slashed by 68% since Brexit’. If this headline is right, this is indeed a ‘Brexit disaster’. Fortunately, some basic due diligence suggests that it’s over the top. The Observer claims that ‘the volume of exports going through British ports to … Continue reading Have UK exports to the EU really been ‘slashed by 68%’?
Category: Brexit
More state intervention is not the answer to reviving our economy
Many people argue that the Covid crisis has demonstrated the need for government to take a bigger role in the economy, in good times as well as bad. When asked to suggest five policies to help the recovery their ‘wish lists’ are therefore full of ways in which the state could do even more. In … Continue reading More state intervention is not the answer to reviving our economy
A ‘thumbs up’ to the Brexit deal
The agreement reached between the UK and the EU is as good a deal as we were ever likely to get. I will leave others to comment in detail on the legal and technical aspects, but here are five key points (my personal views) on the economics. First, it important to be clear about the … Continue reading A ‘thumbs up’ to the Brexit deal
12 reasons to be more cheerful about the UK economy in 2021
I know 2021 will be another tough year for many people and businesses, but I’m aiming here to provide some counterbalance to the more negative commentary you can easily find elsewhere... 1. The household sector (in aggregate) has built up substantial savings during the pandemic that could be used to fuel a strong recovery in … Continue reading 12 reasons to be more cheerful about the UK economy in 2021
Plain-speaking Economics 