Everything government, Parliament, the statistical agencies and the major policy institutes published — read, summarised and ranked so you can skim the day in a minute.
5,510 articles · 37 live sources · updated 1h ago
Argues UK productivity stagnation since 2008 — output per hour growth halved from ~2% to about 1% or less — is self‑inflicted, widening gaps with the US, France and Germany and harming wages, public services and living standards.
The piece argues business rates effectively tax landlords and criticises proposals to shift costs onto large retailers. It highlights John Lewis chairman Jason Tarry warning Chancellor John Healey that a 'warehouse tax' to fund Andy Burnham’s pub and venue cuts would threaten high‑street closures.
The proposed High Value Council Tax Surcharge (HVCTS) will apply from April 2028 to homes in England worth £2 million+, with annual charges from £2,500 up to £7,500 for properties over £5 million; the paper warns it may harm economic growth.
Argues that measured productivity understates AI’s economic payoff because GDP and productivity metrics miss much “free” digital output; investment and equity valuations show an AI boom, but commentators Torsten Slok, Hal Varian and Robert Solow note the productivity payoff remains largely a forecast.
Argues organic farming is intrinsically more land- and labour‑intensive than industrial agriculture, making it cash‑costlier because pesticides and fertilisers substitute for land and labour; any non‑cash benefits should be paid for by consumers.
Argues that political decision-making often mishandles economic policy using the example of EV subsidies and proposed tariffs on Chinese electric cars, warning that politics distorts optimal economic responses to climate and trade problems.
Argues that Donald Trump’s trade policy resembles mercantilism: treating trade as a zero‑sum contest, counting bilateral surpluses as wins, and using tariffs and state direction to pursue national economic power.
Proposes converting utilities into public‑benefit companies with a constitutional duty to deliver high‑quality services and subordinate profitability, arguing this could be done within existing ownership and licensing frameworks to avoid costly shareholder compensation, despite potential legal challenges.
A polemical piece arguing John Maynard Keynes remains the most insightful economist for understanding contemporary capitalism, critiquing opponents for misunderstanding Keynes’s views on market equilibrium and the role of the state.
Argues Britain’s regulatory burden stifles innovation and competitiveness, urging the government to slash or eliminate many bureaucratic processes—rather than just reduce or speed them up—to let firms ‘just go do stuff’ and foster development.
Argues the £210m high-street regeneration pledge is backward: spend decisions should follow local demand research. Notes online sales now represent about 25% of retail, implying less physical High Street space is needed before redesigning uses.
Essay arguing economics should treat time as a fundamental fourth dimension, stressing that transactions unfold over time and that interest reflects the price of waiting, with implications for economic modelling and policy thinking.
The Adam Smith Institute argues that the pro-Proposition 40 rhetoric — claiming a California billionaire wealth tax will curb oligarchy and spark wider wealth taxes — actually demonstrates why the measure should not be passed.
Argues Europe faces a dilemma on AI: either reject it and forgo growth, or adopt it and rely on US/Chinese technology; recent safety debates may render the choice irrelevant, reflecting Europe’s failure to produce Silicon-Valley scale firms.
Argues that economic models often present spurious precision by treating humans as uniform utility-maximisers, warning that real human behaviour—history, loyalties and rumours—undermines the reliability of neat mathematical economics.
Essay on Bernard Mandeville’s Fable of the Bees arguing that private vices such as self‑interest, greed and vanity (luxury, pride) drive industry, commerce and employment, while public virtue undermines ambition, consumption and wealth.