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Category Archives: Comment on the news
Executive pay: we need to think beyond £s
The main political parties have achieved near-consensus that something needs to be done about executive pay. There is an argument that Government has no role in this area, and that private firms, with all their incentives to seek greater profits are … Continue reading
High Pay Commission’s transparency blind spot
“By 2035 the top 0.1% will take home 14% of the national income. Equivalent to that seen in Victorian England.” So proclaims the final report of the High Pay Commission, which was set up to look at the inequality in … Continue reading
You give nudges a bad name
Last week, I read the following newspaper headline: “MPs deride Lansley’s ‘nudging’ deal with food and drink firms“. The story was based on a report by a committee of UK MPs on the effectiveness of UK Government health policy, and in … Continue reading
Is democracy a luxury?
There is a good quote from Yes Prime Minister, the 1980s sitcom parodying British politics, when Prime Minister Jim Hacker is discussing foreign policy with senior civil servant, Sir Humphrey Appleby. Jim (Prime Minister): Humphrey, are you saying that Britain … Continue reading
Posted in Comment on the news, New research
Tagged development, happiness, politics, well-being
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The baffling career of Berlusconi
“Who trusts Berlusconi?” is the title of a recent paper from the Economics and Econometrics Research Institution in Brussels. The ability of Berlusconi to clutch on to power is continually baffling. It’s like Italy has been stuck for over a decade in a … Continue reading
Opportunity costs in banking
This week, the UK’s Independent Commission on Banking published its interim report on recommended reforms to the banking system in the wake of various problems highlighted by the recent financial crisis. Much of the focus has been on structural reforms – for … Continue reading
Sarah Ferguson: Can you trust people who used to be rich?
It’s hard being a Duchess without any taxpayer subsidy to fall back on. Just ask Sarah Ferguson, still a Duchess, but without a royal title since divorcing Prince Andrew, Duke of York. According to reports over the last year or … Continue reading
Rastamouse deals with market failure
Or, how Rastamouse made a bad ting (“thing”) good. The good thing about having young nieces and nephews is that you’re kept up-to-date on the latest trends in kids’ TV. So today, I tuned into an episode of Rastamouse, Hot hot … Continue reading
Budget 2012: It’s the way you communicate it
This week’s Budget announced by the UK Government included proposals for an annual personal tax statement. Each year, taxpayers will receive details of the tax they have paid and how their tax contributes to public spending. It’s all under the … Continue reading →