Many people are understandably still confused about the huge differences between the official figure of 'just' £3.4 billion for the cost of the Chagos deal, as cited by the Prime Minister, and other estimates which are as high as £30.3 billion. Here's my best attempt to clarify. The top figure of £30.3 billion (which I … Continue reading What is the real cost of the Chagos deal?
Category: Geopolitics
What to make of Trump’s tariffs?
Here are the slides from a presentation I gave today to sixth form students at a school in Reading. It features a discussion of the pros and (mostly) cons of the new US tariffs policy and concludes with a recommended book and a film for budding economists! What to make of Trump's tariffs (9 May … Continue reading What to make of Trump’s tariffs?
Why China can still win a trade war with the US
As every student of economics or history show know, free trade is a win-win. The escalation in the tariff war between the US and China will therefore be a lose-lose for both parties. Nonetheless, China is more likely to come out on top. This may seem counter intuitive. After all, China benefits from a huge … Continue reading Why China can still win a trade war with the US
Trump wins! / backs down! (pick your own headline)
This is the first time I have ever had to post twice in one day on the same topic, but here goes... President Trump has just raised tariffs on China to 125%. However, he has also announced a 90-day pause on the 'reciprocal tariffs' for those countries that have not yet retaliated. On balance this … Continue reading Trump wins! / backs down! (pick your own headline)
Plain-speaking Economics 