Including thoughts on the PM's “everyday fixes”, why we shouldn’t pick on mandarins, the downsides of emergency alerts, seasonality in the GDP data, and who is really “queuing up” to join the EU… Theme of the week Andy Burnham’s latest big idea is a series of “everyday fixes” to help with the cost of living. … Continue reading Weekly wrap – Has Andy Burnham already run out of ideas?
Tag: EU
A sceptical take on Nick Boles’ proposal for a “European Confederation”
The former MP has compiled a wish list of grand plans for world peace and global free trade, patched together with a half-baked proposal on UK membership of the EU’s Single Market. I'm not convinced... This weekend the Telegraph ran a story with the striking headline “Burnham told to trade nuclear umbrella for access to … Continue reading A sceptical take on Nick Boles’ proposal for a “European Confederation”
The Brexit Debates: Has Brexit been good for Britain’s economy?
400 words for The Independent, published on 24 June 2026 A decade ago, the British people voted to leave the EU and restore sovereignty to the UK government. Westminster has since regained control over laws and borders, run its own trade policy, and saved tens of billions of pounds in contributions to the EU budget. … Continue reading The Brexit Debates: Has Brexit been good for Britain’s economy?
Do Brits really want to rejoin the EU?
Headlines from opinion polls suggest that a majority of Brits now want to reverse Brexit. But a deeper dive shows that this support is shallow and inconsistent, and sentiment could soon shift again. Those seeking closer economic ties with the European Union often claim that this is what the British public want. At face value, … Continue reading Do Brits really want to rejoin the EU?
Plain-speaking Economics 