Eight prominent economists have written a letter to the Financial Times arguing that the UK needs a ‘step increase’ in public investment in order to boost growth and to fix social and environmental problems. There is clearly something in this, but many risks too. As the writers correctly note, there is an emerging consensus that … Continue reading Yes to a ‘step increase’ in public investment – but only a small one
Tag: fiscal rules
Rachel Reeves’ tax pledges are a hostage to fortune
“Read my lips: no new taxes.” Older readers may remember US Presidential nominee George H W Bush saying those words at the 1988 Republican National Convention. Of course, this pledge was then broken, playing a large part in Bush’s defeat by Bill Clinton four years later. Labour’s Rachel Reeves may just have made the same … Continue reading Rachel Reeves’ tax pledges are a hostage to fortune
We need more serious conversations about both tax and spending
The run-up to the March Budget has seen the usual flurry of rumours about how much room Jeremy Hunt has for tax cuts and what he might do with it. This time, however, there is also a growing consensus that the current fiscal framework is not fit for purpose – and that we need to … Continue reading We need more serious conversations about both tax and spending
Dodgy data and even flakier forecasts are making policy much harder
The unusually large revision to the gross domestic product (GDP) figures produced by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) is only the latest of a series of issues with UK economic data and forecasts. Recent news on the public finances has also been better than predicted by the Office for Budget Responsibility, while inflation has … Continue reading Dodgy data and even flakier forecasts are making policy much harder
Plain-speaking Economics 