Category
In the News
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...
An interesting perspective on urban pollution is offered by this Guardian article that highlight the problems associated with particulate matter, and remarkably, the extent to which this is...
Videos on the looming Global Water Crisis
Water is a scarce resource - at the current price, demand for water exceeds supply - and that's perhaps one of the biggest problems, water is often under-priced, if it priced at all, and in many...
Tesco cuts the value of Clubcard rewards scheme
Here is a lovely example of the high level of competition in the supermarket sector, with Tesco deciding to reduce the value of their Clubcard rewards scheme.
UK real wage gap grows to £11,000 since 2008
The Resolution Foundation estimate that fifteen years of stagnating wages have left the average worker nearly £11,000 per year worse off compared to what they might have expected had wages...
The John Lewis Partnership is thinking of changing its much vaunted staff-ownership model. The potential plan, apparently the brainchild of the Chair, Dame Sharon White, is to seek funding for a...
2023 Budget - A Budget for the Rich?
The distributional effects of the 2023 Budget have been raked through a fair bit, and the same theme emerges. It seems to disproportionately benefit the wealthy, not least in the changes to taxing...
2023 Banking Crisis - Credit Suisse rescued by Swiss rival UBS
Here are details of the emergency and rushed rescue of Credit Suisse by its Swiss rival UBS. The Swiss have taken pre-emptive action to prevent the collapse of Credit Suisse, with banking giant UBS...
Germany gives green light to Euro49 a month season ticket
Those pesky Germans, always innovating, in this case looking to introduce a monthly ticket for local public transport, for 49 euros per month, looking to capitalise on the success of the 9 euros...