One of the biggest social and economic challenges facing the next government will be the rising costs of caring for people living with dementia. Dementia is a general term for a group of related symptoms, rather than a single disease, and too many cases go undiagnosed. But the statistics are brutal. Last year, the ONS … Continue reading Soaring costs of dementia care demand urgent action
Category: health economics
A manifesto for growth
One positive legacy from the brief premiership of Liz Truss is that politicians are finally talking about the importance of economic growth. Unfortunately, there is little agreement on how to turn this talk into action. My manifesto would be based on four priorities: rebooting productivity; removing blockages that add to the cost of living; improving … Continue reading A manifesto for growth
Why expanding London’s ULEZ is a bad idea
The expansion of the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) to all London boroughs on Tuesday is a triumph of green ideology over sound policymaking. People are right to be fed up. The scheme is at least simple. Motorists driving anywhere in the zone in a car or van which does not meet Euro emission standards … Continue reading Why expanding London’s ULEZ is a bad idea
Why is the UK short of workers and what should be done about it?
In the good old days, economists could gauge the health of the UK labour market simply by glancing at the unemployment rate. The latest official figure is still just 3.7 per cent, which suggests all is well. Unemployment has not been this low since the early 1970s. Put another way, the vast majority of people … Continue reading Why is the UK short of workers and what should be done about it?
Plain-speaking Economics 