It may well take some time for the dust to settle on Kwasi Kwarteng’s first Budget (yes, ‘Budget’: if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, then it’s fair to call it a duck). The initial reaction from most economic commentators and in the financial markets has been … Continue reading ‘Morning after’ reflections on the mini-Budget…
Tag: public debt
What have we learned from the first week of ‘Trussonomics’?
The old saying that a ‘week is a long time in politics’ can rarely have been more apt. The changes in Westminster have been overshadowed by the transition in the Monarchy. But the new Prime Minister has also begun to tackle the challenges facing the UK economy. The first big policy announcement was a freeze … Continue reading What have we learned from the first week of ‘Trussonomics’?
Liz Truss may need to act quickly to reassure the markets – but this won’t be ‘Black Wednesday’
The financial markets are nervous. Investors are demanding a higher yield for holding UK government bonds (‘gilts’) and the pound has continued to slide against the US dollar. It is still too soon to talk of a ‘sterling crisis’. Nonetheless, the heightened political uncertainty and large current account deficit could make UK assets particularly vulnerable … Continue reading Liz Truss may need to act quickly to reassure the markets – but this won’t be ‘Black Wednesday’
The pros (and cons) of cutting VAT
Liz Truss is apparently mulling the ‘nuclear’ option of cutting the standard rate of VAT by five percentage points to support the economy. This has triggered a predictable backlash from my fellow policy wonks, led by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS). However, in these extraordinary times, every lever may have to be pulled. The … Continue reading The pros (and cons) of cutting VAT
Plain-speaking Economics 