France and the UK have a long shared history – at times rivals at times allies. Their economies have very similar levels of living standards – ranking 23rd and 24th in global GDP per capita. Yet there are also big differences on the attitude to work, pensions and housing. Not many people know, but since …
In 1978, the Conservative Party hit on a fantastic election poster, Labour’s not working. Unemployment had recently hit 1.6 million or 5%. Ironically, a few years later unemployment would soon double to over 12% after the devastating early 1980s recession. But, what about 2024, is there a new epidemic of economic inactivity, people not working? …
There was a time when Britain led the way in building. Britain built the first railway, the first iron bridge, the first underground system. Isambard Kingdom Brunel was voted the 2nd greatest Britain for his exploits, in transforming the country. But, if Brunel were alive today, would he find himself thwarted by red tape, NIMBY’s …
Defying predictions of recession and political turmoil, the US economy has grown noticeably faster than its competitors. Led by fiscal expansion and higher consumer spending, the US economy appears to be the global economic dynamo. Green subsidies led to a boom in construction investment and rising employment. Yet, despite the seemingly impressive GDP statistics, some …
The British Wage Disaster – Why Wages Lower than EUWatch this video on YouTube Compared to many major European economies, UK average wages are lower and this is before we take into account relatively higher housing costs and longer working hours for British workers. In the past 15 years, the UK has seen pretty much …
Iss the UK broke? How much can the government borrow? Has the government run out of money? Firstly, how does the UK compare to other countries? The UK is not alone in running government debt close to 100% of GDP. But, it is still nearly double European countries like Norway and Ireland. But, this graph …
Is Buy to Let Sector in Terminal Decline?Watch this video on YouTube From the mid 1990s, the buy-to-let sector saw impressive growth. By 2016, 2 million individuals owned a buy to let property. But, recent events have seen a sharp decline in buy-to-let mortgage lending. It is shrinking as a share of the market …
Is There Any Hope For The UK economy? – And Other QuestionsWatch this video on YouTube Q. Is there hope for the UK economy? There is hope for the UK, despite very poor past 15 years, it is still a moderately wealthy country, with reasonably basic economic institutions. We are not in the same league …