There’s a smart case for diversity – but it’s not the one you think.
Andy Haldane, chief economist at the Bank of England, hit the headlines last week with his confession that even he could not understand much of the material which pension providers give to customers. Less noticed, however, was a speech he gave the previous week at a dinner organised in aid of Children in Need on […]
‘Good Enough’ evidence?
We all want evidence based policy and decisions. However, deciding what constitutes evidence and what standard of proof is required is another matter. And of course this is especially challenging when we need to explore what will happen, rather than what has happened. Will this policy work? Will this investment pay back? It’s not clear […]
Is Britain on the edge of recession? History is an unreliable guide
Concerns are growing about a marked slowdown in the UK economy. The Lloyds Bank purchasing managers’ index, for example, fell to 52.1 in April, its lowest point since 2013. The initial estimate for GDP, total output, in the first quarter of this year shows an increase of just 0.4 per cent on the final quarter of 2015. […]
Bridget Rosewell to attend ITC report launch
Leading economist and member of the National Infrastructure Commission Bridget Rosewell is to attend the Independent Transport Commission (ITC) launch of High Speed Rail and Connected Cities: Accessible Places for Growing Economies on Monday 16th May at Leeds Town Hall. The Independent Transport Commission (ITC) has been running a major research project investigating how High […]
Surviving the pensions crisis means encouraging work
The Queen’s 90th birthday has quite rightly dominated the media over the past week. Her Majesty continues to break all sorts of records, spending longer on the throne than Queen Victoria and being our oldest ever reigning monarch. But longevity should no longer give cause for surprise. The oldest participant in the London Marathon was […]
Paul Ormerod on Radio 4’s Thinking Allowed
Leading economist Paul Ormerod was on BBC Radio 4’s Social Science series Thinking Allowed on Wednesday 20th April 2016. You can listen to it HERE. Danny Dorling discussed the themes of his new book, ‘A Better Politics: How Governments Can Make Us Happier’, Paul was a speaker, along with Professor Esther Dermott at the University of Bristol. You […]
from golf to GDP, why unlikely events confound forecasters
Life imitates art, as the sporting world has shown this week. The Grand National was won by a horse which had never previously won a steeplechase. The US golf Masters was won by Danny Willett, who nearly did not take part at all because of the birth of his son. With only nine of the […]
Bank bail outs are no model to follow for British steel
The potential closure of the Tata steel plants, and the plight of Port Talbot is a tragedy for those directly affected. A key question is: if the banks could be saved, why not steel? From a purely political perspective, the topic has legs. The loyal, hard working Welshmen, fearful for their families’ futures, contrasted with […]
Scotland’s fiscal fantasy and the impact of an OUT vote
A short visit to the Highlands last week was refreshing. The scenery is just as spectacular as ever, and the people just as welcoming. But elsewhere, the tectonic plates are shifting. Last week, a televised debate took place amongst the political leaders contesting the elections to the Scottish Parliament in May. It resembled a bidding […]
Why we are much better off than the official statistics say
The oldest surviving map of Britain was created in Canterbury a thousand years ago. Our ancestors had a good idea of how to get around. The country is depicted in its familiar shape. Understanding of the world outside Western Europe remained sketchy for centuries. The phrase ‘here be dragons’ was allegedly used to conceal ignorance […]
