In the commentary following what many found a surprising decision by the Bank of England not to raise interest rates yet, one or two economists wondered out loud whether central banks are the right institutions to be taking decisions which have such far reaching effects on the lives of ordinary people. It is not very […]
It is now widely understood that Boris is the most left wing Tory prime minister since Harold Macmillan. He was telling everyone who would listen off stage at the party conference that the economic model of the last 40 years had failed. For ‘economic model’ read Thatcherism. Or perhaps the literal interpretations of Thatcherism which […]
Even I, who had never met him and disagreed profoundly with his political views on many issues, will forever recall the shock of the moment when my phone pinged a news alert last Friday, telling of the stabbing to death of Sir David Amess. I recalled at once the moment in the 1992 general election […]
This blog will correct widespread misunderstandings about the ownership of money, especially at the heart of government. Thatcher stated that the state had no money, it was the people’s money. She was completely wrong. That is why her economic model is now collapsing. Money is a measure. It is issued by, belongs to and always […]
The Party Conference Season is drawing to a close amid an extraordinary time of anxiety and distrust. Politicians are regarded with suspicion because they talk up but deliver down. Many shortages exist and are increasing all across the economy, affecting everyday life for everybody and every sector. In this febrile atmosphere the Prime Minister rubbishes […]
The fuel and energy crises have brought to a head issues which have been simmering under the Boris government since its inception. They can be summed up by two questions. Does it know what it is doing? Can it be trusted? After a brief period when the combination of the Covid emergency financial support and […]
Not since the Winter of Discontent has there been so much disruption and disquiet, nor such a feeling of unease in society. From protesters closing motorways, to panic at the pumps, things appear to be going from bad to worse. Add the news of energy companies going under as the dysfunctional gas market implodes, threatening […]
In a wonderful farmhouse retreat in Cumbria, I have little inclination to keep up with the news. So today just some quick observations. The Kermit the Frog moment was a speechwriter’s blunder and a PR disaster. Boris’s message to the UN, whatever it was, on the critical issues of climate change and global warming, was […]