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
Tag: Brexit
Would a ‘no deal’ Brexit really leave the UK friendless?
At the weekend former PM Gordon Brown claimed that a ‘no deal’ Brexit would leave Boris Johnson isolated ‘with no friends around the world’. This is a familiar theme. In 2019, for example, Brown warned that the UK was ‘sleepwalking into oblivion', and that a nation once admired for its tolerance and pragmatism now presented … Continue reading Would a ‘no deal’ Brexit really leave the UK friendless?
A deeper dive into the OECD’s forecasts
On Wednesday the OECD’s latest Economic Outlook presented a relatively downbeat assessment of the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the global economy (more ‘U’ than ‘V’). The report also flagged up some specific concerns about the vulnerability of the UK, which prompted some particularly gloomy headlines here. But is the OECD on to anything … Continue reading A deeper dive into the OECD’s forecasts
The economic case against extending the Brexit transition
If you are someone who believes that Brexit is absolutely marvellous, or a complete disaster, then the question of whether the coronavirus pandemic justifies an extension of the transition period is presumably a no-brainer. But what about those who think the issues are more delicately balanced? This piece is pitched at them. In particular, I … Continue reading The economic case against extending the Brexit transition
Plain-speaking Economics 