In my unpopular view, the social benefits of an extra Bank Holiday are overstated, while the economic costs would be too high. But political realities suggest we’ll get one anyway, if the football gods allow! An extra Bank Holiday would obviously be popular, and few politicians would be able to resist. Indeed, Keir Starmer has … Continue reading Should there be an extra Bank Holiday if England win the World Cup?
Tag: money
‘Economic Overview’ (presentation)
In case of wider interest, here are the slides from a presentation I made yesterday to the Shadow Monetary Policy Committee, hosted by the IEA. The SMPC is a group of independent economists whose purpose is to monitor the decisions of the Bank of England’s official Monetary Policy Committee and to make policy recommendations of … Continue reading ‘Economic Overview’ (presentation)
Forget Bitcoin’s latest collapse, digital currencies are still the future
The latest slump in the prices of Bitcoin (and many of its peers) has put a serious dent in their credibility as a reliable means of payment, let alone as a store of value or a sound investment. But this is certainly not the end for digital currencies. If anything, the crash in the prices … Continue reading Forget Bitcoin’s latest collapse, digital currencies are still the future
Access to cash is a far bigger problem than the ‘missing’ £50 billion
On 4th December, the UK parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) published a report on the production and distribution of cash. The press release was headlined ‘PAC urges Bank of England to investigate “missing” £50 billion of sterling notes’. This emphasis was unhelpful and drew attention away from the real problems. The media coverage did at … Continue reading Access to cash is a far bigger problem than the ‘missing’ £50 billion
Plain-speaking Economics 