Monthly Archives: July 2014

You have probably heard about the wager between Jonathan Portes and Andrew Lilico about how much inflation will rise with economic growth. Not to be outdone, Ben Dellot and I have had a bet about the rise in self-employment and … Continue reading →

Simon Wren-Lewis reflects on the different language used about regulation and employment law when the restrictions apply to employees. Employees are already beset by red tape if they try to improve their working conditions. Now the UK government wants to increase the regulatory … Continue reading →

This was a watershed month for the UK’s slow recovery, with a number of things finally getting back to where they were before the recession. In July, GDP, the employment rate and the number of full-time jobs edged above 2008 levels. The FT … Continue reading →

The anniversary of Tony Blair’s election as Labour leader prompted several re-appraisals of the man and his time in power. Even though he has been vilified since leaving office, many on the centre left, and quite a few others too, look … Continue reading →

Compared to previous years, there wasn’t much reaction to the OBR’s Fiscal Sustainability Report. OK, there was a hurrumph from Jeremy Warner, as you might expect, but that was about it. This may simply be because the OBR’s outlook was a … Continue reading →

Even though the number of employees is now rising steadily, self-employment continues to increase as well, hitting another record level this month. As ever, the Resolution Foundation were quick off the mark with a chart. Politicians and journalists seem to have … Continue reading →

Conservative ministers used this week’s public sector strike as an opportunity to revive the idea of further legal restrictions on industrial action. Raising the threshold to 50 percent of  a those entitled to vote seems to be the most talked-about option and the one championed by Boris Johnson. … Continue reading →

A report by the Resolution Foundation this week highlights the mismatch between official employment and pay data. When it talks about employment and job creation, the government includes the self-employed. When it comes to pay, though, the incomes of the self-employed are left out. … Continue reading →

A couple of weeks ago, I was talking to a friend who said, “I’m going on strike on 10 July.” I was so surprised (this person is a former Tory party member and about as un-militant as you can get) that … Continue reading →

Conservative MPs are demanding a cap on immigration from EU countries as part of whatever renegotiation of membership the government manages after the next election. David Cameron is making the sort of noises that will appease his backbenchers though I wonder if he really … Continue reading →