Author Archives: mk242013

About mk242013

Economist

Forget Super Thursday, the Bank of England can only offer Mildly Useful Thursday

Posted on August 3, 2016 by mk242013

 The Bank of England is expected to announce on Thursday measures to stimulate the UK economy following signs that there will be a significant economic downturn following the vote for Brexit. The Bank may cut interest rates, inject another dose … Continue reading →

Posted in Brexit, economic policy | Leave a comment

Ignore the mudslinging – Corbyn would be a sound option for Labour

Posted on July 27, 2015 by mk242013

The contest for the next leader of the Labour Party is in danger of becoming interesting. Jeremy Corbyn is increasingly stealing the show – perhaps because he is the only one saying anything of substance. The other candidates seem to … Continue reading →

Posted in British politics, economic policy | Leave a comment

Budget 2015: cuts to make Daily Mail readers wince, but not just yet

Posted on July 8, 2015 by mk242013

George Osborne is preparing to deliver the first Tory budget since 1996. He will proclaim the success of the government’s “long-term economic plan” and will use this as a platform to launch a radical reduction of welfare expenditure. But repeatedly … Continue reading →

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David Cameron’s red light zone is closer to home than he thinks

Posted on November 18, 2014 by mk242013

When discussing the state of the economy, politicians deploy two key tricks. First, get your excuses in early. Second, take all the credit for any good news but blame others for any bad news. David Cameron has used both devices … Continue reading →

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How to shape economic policy when we move beyond GDP

Posted on October 23, 2014 by mk242013

The day is not far off when the economic problem will take the back seat where it belongs, and the arena of the heart and the head will be occupied or reoccupied, by our real problems – the problems of … Continue reading →

Posted in economic policy, economics | Leave a comment

Osborne’s four myths mean he hits the poor and helps the rich

Posted on September 19, 2014 by mk242013

George Osborne performed his main role at conference: to produce some good news to deflect attention from defection and deviance. Abolishing death taxes while targeting tax avoiders sounds good and the Tory faithful loved it. And this is good news … Continue reading →

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Immigration rhetoric is a threat to Britain’s long-term growth

Posted on June 14, 2014 by mk242013

Immigration has risen to the top of the political agenda in the UK. And the popular press has been propelling the bandwagon.  ‘We must stop the immigrant invasion’ according to the Daily Express and ‘enough is enough’ according to the … Continue reading →

Posted in economic policy, economics, education, immigration, trade performance | Leave a comment

Budget 2014: how good politics can trump good economics

Posted on March 18, 2014 by mk242013

The days leading up the budget are hectic as many in the Treasury are busy devising financial gimmicks to please the electorate. This forthcoming budget is particularly important as next year’s budget will be too close to the election to … Continue reading →

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US Politics and the Health of a Nation

Posted on October 31, 2013 by mk242013

Some semblance of calm has descended over Washington after the farce of the government shutdown. But it would be a stretch to say that things have returned to normal and the full extent of the economic damage will not be … Continue reading →

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The UK Economy: The Retreat of the Makers

Posted on July 30, 2013 by mk242013

If the Chancellor George Osborne is to turn his vision of reinvigorating our manufacturing sector, the so called “march of the makers”, he and his government colleagues need to develop a coherent industrial policy. The public policy debates which focus … Continue reading →

Posted in economic policy, immigration, manufacturing, regions, trade performance | Leave a comment