The cost of being late: do incentives always work?
Economics provides us with a really big insight into how the world works. People respond to changes in incentives. A great deal of public policy is based on this principle. You want fewer people to drive into Central London? Introduce a congestion charge and make it more expensive. It works. In practice, of course, estimating […]
The ‘Gentleman in Whitehall’ does not know best
The government is relaxed about people cashing in their pension schemes to buy a Lamborghini. But the left-leaning liberal commentariat is certainly not. Abuse has been heaped onto George Osborne’s Budget measure of removing the requirement for people to buy an annuity. The main thrust of the attacks is that individuals may act irresponsibly. They […]
Lancashire and London have dominated the Premier League. Can it last?
The Premier League season draws to an exciting close. It is by no means clear who will be champions, or who will gain the coveted top five European qualifying spots. There could even be a surprise. If Liverpool win, for the first time since 1995 a team from outside Manchester and North London will be […]
HS1-HS2 Camden Link
Volterra has recently completed a report assessing the options for the HS1-HS2 link for Camden Town Unlimited. We argued that the proposal to run a single surface level track through Camden was ‘an unconvincing compromise’: HS2 Ltd should either build a full twin track tunnel under Camden or build nothing at all. The proposal was […]
“It’s not the economy, stupid, it’s the narrative!”
The improvement in the economy has seen a narrowing of the gap in the opinion polls between the Conservatives and Labour. In the key marginal seat of Bury North, a Tory gain in 2010 by just 2,200 votes, they recently took a council seat from Labour. Bill Clinton famously said about elections “It’s the economy, […]
Trends in Inequality: Truth and Myth
Concern about inequalities of income and wealth is now a fashionable topic. It featured strongly in the gathering of the world’s top brass at Davos earlier this year. Much of the popular coverage of the topic gives the impression that not only is inequality at record highs, but that it is confined to the wicked […]
Ukraine and Russia: why they’ve proved Friedman’s ‘MacDonalds’ doctrine wrong
On 31 January 1990, a great event took place in Pushkin Square, Moscow. A branch of MacDonald’s was opened. The same excitement was generated in Kiev on 24 May 1997, when the MacDonald’s franchise was extended to the Ukraine. The American author Thomas Friedman wrote in 1999 that no two countries with such a franchise […]
Frangleterre… Labour Mobility undermines Tax and Spend regimes
Pimlico Plumbers will be a familiar brand to many readers – it has a prominent advert on the approach into Waterloo station. But the company is now calling for plumbers who are fluent in both English and French, and says applicants will be interviewed by a native French speaker. This is just the tip of […]
A City-Centre HS2 Station for Sheffield?
Volterra has been supporting Sheffield City Council in making the case for a city centre HS2 station. We have examined the benefits of locating the city’s HS2 station at Victoria within the city centre, instead of the site at Meadowhall currently promoted by HS2 Ltd. Our findings suggest that the economic, employment and regeneration benefits […]
Bridget looks at how technology shapes the capital
Bridget Rosewell has recently written an article for TechCity Insider – a publication centring on the people, issues and companies defining the next generation of digital business in and around east London. Bridget’s article concentrates on how technological advances have historically forced change on London and how she believes London needs capacity for opportunities that […]
