The four main parties (on the basis of their likely share of the UK vote) have all now published their manifestos for the general election on 4th July. The boldness of the commitments appears to be inversely related to the number of seats that each party is predicted to win. But every party has a … Continue reading Does any UK party have a credible plan on tax and spending?
Category: Politics
Rachel Reeves ‘£4,800’ mortgage claim is a house of cards
Labour’s Rachel Reeves has scored some political points this week by claiming that the Conservatives have made £71 billion of “unfunded policy pledges”, and that this will “mean £4,800 on your mortgage”. But these calculations are simply absurd and easy to knock down. Let us start with the ‘£71 billion’. This figure first appeared in … Continue reading Rachel Reeves ‘£4,800’ mortgage claim is a house of cards
Has the Bank of England missed the boat?
The global interest rate cutting cycle has begun, but there is little sign that the Bank of England is ready to jump on board. How much longer will the UK have to wait? This question became even more pressing last week when the European Central Bank (ECB) trimmed official rates in the euro area for … Continue reading Has the Bank of England missed the boat?
Should civil servants be involved in costing opposition policies?
This issue has flared up again following the row about the Conservatives’ document that claimed Labour will “increase your taxes by £2,094” (a figure still being cited on X today). There’s a lot to unpick here, so be prepared for a relatively nuanced answer! In case you’ve been lucky enough to miss all this, the … Continue reading Should civil servants be involved in costing opposition policies?
Plain-speaking Economics 