Monthly Archives: March 2013

Immigration: Lies, Dammed Lies and the Daily Mail

It times of economic turmoil it is common to direct venom at others.  And immigrants are an easy target.  This was a feature of the 1930s and the 1970s in the UK – with immigrants being ‘blamed’ for taking ‘our’ … Continue reading

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Governments and growth

Last week, ‘two lads from the ECB’ contributed to the debate on the state of the economy. They were cited by the venture capitalist, Jon Moulton, on Newsnight, as providing evidence that Governments harm growth.  It was contribution which showed … Continue reading

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The FT: defending zombie economics

There is an entertaining debate (well, it is entertaining if you are an economist) in the FT about the conduct of economic policy in the UK.  On the side of realism is Martin Wolf who argues that Britain’s austerity is … Continue reading

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The OBR and the impact of austerity

The Office of Budget Responsibility has given the Prime Minister a public dressing down.   Robert Chote, the OBR’s Chairman, has clearly stated in an open letter that the Government’s austerity policies have harmed economic growth.

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Time for TINA to turn: myths of austerity

TINA is back.  David Cameron has reprised Mrs Thatcher’s proclamation that ‘there is no alternative’ to justify the current policy of austerity.  Politicians frequently misrepresent economic reality to argue that there are few, if any, alternatives in the conduct of … Continue reading

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