Fiscal Policy

Created
Wed, 06/11/2024 - 19:43
Well, as I write this late in the Kyoto afternoon, Donald Trump has just made a victory speech after an incredible day of election outcomes unfolding. As I wrote last week, the only moral and reasonable position for a progressive to take in this election would be to vote for Jill Stein and send a…
Created
Mon, 28/10/2024 - 14:08
There is a pattern. Start with an aim which usually involves advancing the interests of some powerful lobby group. It is known that if the citizens realise that there is special pleading going on they will not be supportive. The solution – create some metaphorical language that will help convince us that the aim is…
Created
Wed, 23/10/2024 - 18:48
Some Wednesday snippets. First, I juxtapose the political machinations that the EU President is engaged in to consolidate and expand her power within the European Commission with the reality that Member State governments are becoming dysfunction because social instability and political extremism are rife. Then I reflect on my experience as Chancellor of Britain –…
Created
Thu, 24/10/2024 - 18:42
Regular readers will know I have been a long-time critic of the fiscal rules that successive British governments have invoked as part of a pretence that they were being somehow responsible fiscal managers. The problem was that in trying to keep within these artificial thresholds, governments would do the exact opposite to what a responsible…
Created
Mon, 23/09/2024 - 17:01
There is renewed debate in Britain at present on the use and design of the new government’s fiscal rules, which many people are now saying will force expenditure cuts which will “damage the ‘foundations of the economy”, according to the Financial Times article (September 16, 2024) – UK spending cuts would damage ‘foundations of the…