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.
Dynamic efficiency in action! Is the future of detergents going to be via enzymes from fermented fruit,? If it is, to what extent will it help overcome the threat of detergent pollution creating...
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...
Revision Special - What 3 Words for Great Evaluation!
In this short video we walk through three words - all starting with the letter E - that, when used well, can be a powerful ally to students when building evaluation in their economics exam answers!
UK Economy - Does a rising current account deficit matter?
The UK's external trade accounts are looking quite poorly at the moment. The latest forecast is a current account deficit of over £150 billion in 2023 which would be above 6% of the UK's GDP. To...
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...
If you are aiming for a top grade in A Level Economics in 2023, you need to watch this 20 minutes of exam gold!
Synoptic Exam Questions and Approaches
I have been working with my own students on improving their synoptic skills this week. Two issues we have looked at have been increased government funding for childcare as well as the micro and...
Externalities - Why Nobody Knows How Much Methane Is Leaking
This Bloomberg clip looks at the notion that natural gas is an environmentally-friendly 'bridge fuel' - however, is this really true?
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.
Kahoot Quiz on the UK Economy in 2023
I've put together a quiz on the UK economy in March 2023 which covers lots of key indicators and charts and much else besides including the new slider-quiz questions that are so popular!
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...