21 February, 2010 Once again apologies for a longish absence. This is down in part, to smashing (literally) building works, to a little grandchild-minding, and to other writing commitments. But have been itching to comment on a) Greece and the EU b) Iceland (it seems the UK is easing up on the pressure); c) the […]
17th January, 2009. This was posted on the Compass site on the 16th January. I am shortlisted for the North West Durham Parliamentary Selection. A less likely candidate you would be hard pressed to find. I am not a local big wig and did not grow up in the constituency. I don’t have the backing
15th January, 2009. Patient readers this blog is triggered by Jeff Randall’s column in the Daily Telegraph today. In it he inadvertently discloses the identity of the puppet-masters dictating the Tory political agenda around public spending cuts. In a somewhat histrionic column in which he describes the public deficit as a ‘disaster’ ( he should
5th January, 2010 There has been much sturm and drang generated by the Guardian and others on the threat posed to government finances by the flawed and often irrational rating agencies, and by the supposedly despotic, vengeful and greedy bond markets. Methinks they protest too much. We at the Green New Deal group have long
Are the bond markets and rating agencies to be feared? Read More »
12th December 2009 At the end of last month I delivered the prestigious EBOR lecture at York. My address was entitled: “Credit, usury and political power: chasing the moneylenders from the temple that is our democracy” Click on the link below to read a PDF version of the full lecture: EBOR Lecture November 25th (PDF)
9th December, 2009 It has been an extraordinary day this day, and something to witness: this frenzy of pre-election fisticuffs. Extraordinary because Conservatives, like mindless bullies, are fighting a phoney war against the victims of this crisis. The fact is the Tories are spineless scaredy cats, too timid to take on the perpetrators, who have
The pre-budget report: bullies in the playground Read More »
7th December, 2009 This is the press release from the new economics foundation: “Two days ahead of the pre-budget report, and as the UN climate change talks open in Copenhagen – the second report from the authors of the original Green New Deal argues that the British Chancellor is likely to miss a historic opportunity
Green New Deal – ‘The Cuts won’t work’ report is published. Read More »
6th December, 2009. Most economists (who should know better) confuse the government’s budget deficit with total government debt. The distinction really is important. Mixing them up is a little like confusing stocks and flows. Or confusing your outstanding mortgage – say £200,000 – with your monthly debt repayments. They are quite different things, and if
6th December, 2009 The Observer asked a small group of people to comment in advance of next Wednesday’s Pre-Budget Report. This from yours truly: “Public debt will rise higher if government slashes spending, and recovery will elude us. Unemployment has high costs, but productive government spending, unlike private spending, pays for itself by creating jobs
25th November, 2009 Dear patient readers of this blog…please find below my latest Huff Post post. Some may wonder why I cheered when White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel announced that the president plans to cut the deficit, because he “does not want to keep on adding to the debt.” It’s no secret that
