Category
In the News
Update on the UK Economy
The last of our nine live Easter online revision sessions is today at 12 noon. We will be covering the UK economy with loads of application and evaluation to support students as the May and June...
Soaring energy costs force UK tomato growers to quit
Rising costs are driving some tomato farmers out of business - and for those of you revising for an examination, you might think about how this moves individual farmers from a position where they...
Tesco Cuts Milk Prices - Will other retailers follow?
A glimmer of hope here that cost of living pressures might be starting to ease. Tesco has announced cuts in the retail price of milk in response to a fall in prices in the wholesale market. This is...
Transport investment could give the UK economy a £50billion lift
The TUC - and in this case it is representing 48 trade unions - claim that investment in public transport can simultaneously provide a £50 billion boost to economic growth, as well as make a...
Proposals to reform UK Council Tax
I've been reading Paul Johnson's excellent "Follow the Money" recently, and this Larry Elliott piece chimes with much contained in the book. In both cases, Johnson and pressure group, Fair Share,...
IMF downgrades UK Growth Forecast
The UK is forecast to be the worst performing economy, both in the G7 and the larger G20 group of nations in 2023, with the IMF predicting that the economy is going to shrink by 0.3%, before...
Digital Services Tax - Are Tech Companies Avoiding It?
The Public Accounts Committee and the National Audit Office are both slightly concerned about the effects of the Digital Services Tax (DST) with measure generating 30% more tax revenue than was...
Norway's Salmon Tax - A Leap towards Sustainability?
Interesting news from Norway, where the government are pressing forward with a so-called salmon tax. The move is in response to the large profits made by this important sector of industry, and the...
Nigel Lawson
The former Chancellor of the Exchequer, Nigel Lawson has died aged 91. He was undoubtedly one of the most significant ministers to serve under Margaret Thatcher between the years 1981 to 1989...
External Debt - China's loans to Africa worry World Bank
The President of the World Bank, David Malpass, has voiced his concerns about the nature of Chinese lending to Africa, highlighting loans to Zambia and Ghana, in particular.
The UK has been admitted to the The Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership - or CPTPP. It's a trading bloc established in 2018, and focused on the Asia-Pacific region.
Manchester introduces £1 a night tourist tax
Manchester has become the first city in the UK to impose an explicit tourist tax - hoping to raise around £3m revenue per year. Many European cities already do this, and it's not seen as unusual....
Deindustrialisation in the UK - UK car industry under threat
An established player in the UK car industry has suggested that the UK is on the point of entering the last chance saloon as far as its car industry is concerned.
The outgoing head of the World Bank, David Malpass, has marked his departure by calling for a substantial increase in funding to help developing economies deal with the conjunction of war, the...
UK set to join Asia-Pacific Trade Bloc
The Financial Times is reporting that the UK is in the final stages of agreeing to join the 11-member Asia-Pacific trade bloc.
De-merit goods - should the government toughen gambling laws?
I've been looking at demerit goods with my Year 12 classes this week, and we've touched on the negative externalities that are generated by problem gambling. This Rob Davies article is an...
High inflation and shoe leather costs
Every now and again you get an article that perfectly encapsulates a little bit of economic theory. This is one.
Economic Development - China spent $240bn on belt and road bailouts from 2008 to 2021
This article looks at the role of China in financing infrastructure projects in the developing world, as part of its Belt and Road programme. What is interesting is the fact that this isn't about...
UK Economy - Why is the Trade Deficit Rising so Fast?
The UK economy ran a record trade deficit with the European Union in 2022 and the overall balance of trade in goods and services has worsened considerably in the last couple of years. Our latest...
Collusion in Oligopoly - Ten construction firms fined total £60m
The Competition and Markets Authority have uncovered evidence of collusion in the construction industry, with a number of firms colluding over 19 contracts between 2013 and 2018, and being fined...