Introduction The UK has not been doing very well over the past few years and feels a far more divided and fragile society. As someone who believes not only that Brexit is a major mistake, but that the execution of the policy by HMG has been strategically inept, it is difficult to feel optimistic. Gut… Read more
Eaten for lunch – and probably dinner…
And what is just as important – because the NHS is almost definitely the largest drug purchaser in the world, it sets a yardstick for worldwide prices – and so the (American) drug manufacturers are going to just love any reduction in the power of the NHS…. Read more
A reply to Tribune’s ‘Against MMT’
James Meadway, former advisor to shadow chancellor, John McDonnell, has written an article in Tribune entitled ‘Against MMT’. At least we know where he is coming from…. Actually, it is, I suggest, fairly well argued, and certainly concentrates on the ideas and not the people, which for MMT – particularly bearing in mind recent experiences,… Read more
Is the Euro China’s secret weapon?
It seems to have received little attention but, last week, Portugal successfully raised finance by issuing so called Panda bonds in Chinese currency. This is a country in the Euro issuing bonds in a foreign currency and in a Chinese one at that. According to the Madrid based EU affairs news website ‘South EU Summit’:… Read more
At least one Tory gets why the WTO and zero tariff conditions would be disastrous
At least one Tory leadership candidate understands No Deal would be a disaster for all our futures… Good on you @RoryStewartUK pic.twitter.com/QQpEBHnysn — Our Future, Our Choice (@OFOCBrexit) May 30, 2019 What he doesn’t mention in that under WTO rules, having instituted zero tariffs, even if food might, initially, be cheaper to import it is… Read more
Lessons from the European parliament election – a Scottish border?
Britain The 2019 European Parliament election results for Britain are shown in Fig. 1. As Richard Murphy discusses in The false narrative of Brexit Party success, this superficially looks a spectacular win for the Brexit party, but essentially they have cannabalised the UKIP seats and added five more. All but one of these have… Read more
The social contract is not what it seems
There is a notable piece from the New Economics Foundation (NEF) ‘Imagining a New Social Contract’, on the desirability of having both a Universal Basic Income and Universal Basic Services. Indeed, I come more and more to the conclusion that this style of scheme is likely to be the only real way to offer a… Read more
Capturing democratic thought
Farage has intimated numerous times that he thinks ‘our’ democracy is broken, without, as usual, ever outlining what to do about it – except of course getting the ‘Brexit Party’ to fight the next election. Farage’s solutions are much as Macbeth thought about life – full of sound and fury, signifying nothing. Even so, let… Read more
The Tin Can Cook
This is short – but I think I should simply highlight the crowdfunder for the ‘Tin Can Cook’ where any excess – over and above funds required to publish the actual book, which now seems to be funded, will go to help foodbanks. But she tells you all about it! Although I’ve long respected Jack… Read more
The progressive Conservative?
Like everyone else I am thinking about declaring my candidacy for the Conservative leadership. A good friend, of long standing, said I should ‘go for it’ and I thought, “Well, why not?” After all, I fancy myself as a bit of a comedian and have an overinflated opinion of my intelligence, but more than that… Read more
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