Paul Cheshire (LSE, CEP) warns that radical reform of the planning system will be needed if the latest housebuilding pledge is to be met. https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/politicsandpolicy/without-radical-planning-reform-burnham-cannot-build-the-houses-hes-promising/

Without radical planning reform, Burnham cannot build the houses he’s promising | LSE British Politics

Governments keep promising more houses, and keep failing to build them. If Burnham is to keep his promise, there needs to be a radical reform to planning rules.

blogs.lse.ac.uk

Nick Bloom (CEP, Stanford) talks with @soumayakeynes.ft.com at the FT about what economies can gain from AI and the benefits for a hybrid WFH environment in the workplace. Listen: www.ft.com/content/1298...

Will AI solve the productivity puzzle? With Nick Bloom

AI hasn’t resulted in widespread productivity gains. Business leaders say that’s changing

ft.com

A new @poidcast.bsky.social episode is out with Alexander Whalley from #EconCalgary - we talked about his academic journey, fav econ papers, Cold War and space race between the US & USSR, large R&D programs and more! @cep-lse.bsky.social @johnvanreenen.bsky.social open.spotify.com/episode/6LJZ...

S3 E8: Space Race, Cold War, and Public R&D Policies with Alex Whalley from the University of Calgary

The Innovation and Diffusion Podcast · Episode

open.spotify.com

Employer market power: models and methods By Ihsaan Bassier and Alan Manning Read at: https://ow.ly/rLCE50ZuJvS

The equilibrium impact of credit frictions: evidence from default risk using firm-level data By Timothy Besley, Peter John Lambert, Isabelle Michalski-Roland and John Van Reenen Read at: https://ow.ly/T8hh50ZuJta

Richard Baldwin (IMD business school), Saul Estrin (CEP, LSE), and Bob Hancké (LSE) say the important question about deindustrialisation is not simply who lost more manufacturing, but how exactly that happened. https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/management/2026/07/23/how-america-out-deindustrialised-europe/

How America out-deindustrialised Europe

Despite the prevailing narrative of Western deindustrialisation as one of a rigid EU and a dynamic USA, reality shows the USA has out-deindustrialised the EU.

blogs.lse.ac.uk

📢 Job vacancy: Assistant to the CEP Directors & Centre Manager @CEP_LSE Join the team behind one of Europe's leading economics research centres, supporting senior leadership and the day-to-day running of CEP. 📅 Apply by 11 Aug → https://ow.ly/itOW50ZrVSE

“We need to restore the basic practice of sociable living as central to people’s enjoyment of life,” says Richard Layard. Hear more on the Trumponomics podcast with Stephanie Flanders and Bloomberg reporter Ben Steverman. https://open.spotify.com/episode/0qrq0lKYNRR1CuNb8WYuM3

Are We Being Priced Out of Happiness?

Trumponomics · Episode

open.spotify.com

The new class divide confronting Britain will be one of the defining challenges for Prime Minister Andy Burnham, says Lee Elliot Major (CEP, Exeter). https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/inequalities/2026/07/22/andy-burnham-new-class-system-opportunities/

Andy Burnham's biggest challenge isn't Britain's old class system – it's the new one

Britain has a Prime Minister who is more Evertonian than Etonian. It's a radical break from the traditional elite - but how is the UK's class divide changing?

blogs.lse.ac.uk

Manchesterism shows the potential for place-based policy making - but such a transformation takes time. As Andy Burnham becomes PM, Aadya Bahl looks what can, and cannot, be applied elsewhere. https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/politicsandpolicy/can-manchesterism-really-be-a-blueprint-for-national-growth/

Can Manchesterism really be a blueprint for national growth? | LSE British Politics

Much of the success of Andy Burnham's Manchesterism depended on local conditions of Greater Manchester. Can it be replicated nationally?

blogs.lse.ac.uk

Christian Krekel (CEP, LSE) and Sara MacLennan (CEP) show how wellbeing economics changes the assessment of disaster prevention. https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/impactofsocialsciences/2026/07/13/prevention-loses-budget-battles-wellbeing-economics-can-change-the-maths/

Prevention loses budget battles – wellbeing economics can change the maths - LSE Impact

Can wellbeing economics can make a compelling case for governments to invest in prevention over mitigation?

blogs.lse.ac.uk

Why did catalytic converter theft surge? Gerald Foong, Stephen Machin and Matteo Sandi show how precious metal prices created powerful economic incentives for theft. https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/usappblog/2026/07/08/catalytic-converter-thefts-rise-and-fall-with-global-metal-prices/

Manchesterism, with an emphasis on place and anchor institutions, is well-positioned to support universities in boosting their local economies, argues Aadya Bahl. https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/politicsandpolicy/burnhams-manchesterism-can-help-universities-drive-local-growth/

Burnham’s Manchesterism can help universities drive local growth | LSE British Politics

Andy Burnham wants universities to drive economic growth. Manchesterism can provide the polices that can support universities in boosting their local economy.

blogs.lse.ac.uk

The Strait of Hormuz is far from the only chokepoint that leaves global trade vulnerable. By Ferdinand Rauch, Stephan Maurer and Luke Heath Milsom. Blog: https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/businessreview/2026/07/09/world-trade-remains-dangerously-dependent-on-a-handful-of-shipping-lanes/

World trade remains dangerously dependent on a handful of shipping lanes - LSE Business Review

Despite the digitisation of the global economy, world trade is still only as resilient as the physical routes it depends on.

blogs.lse.ac.uk

Ports, technology and inter-city trade: the economics and geopolitics of evolving maritime transport networks By Réka Juhász, Dávid Krisztián Nagy, Claudia Steinwender and Woan Foong Wong Read at: https://ow.ly/EuuN50ZlrVG

The UK’s £298bn defence plan raises a question: can higher military spending boost growth? On VoxTalks Economics, John Van Reenen (LSE,CEP) argues that it can, if defence strategies put innovation at their core. To listen: https://ow.ly/jmjf50ZmPmn

Despite a near total academic consensus on the negative consequences of Brexit, voters were not swayed. In a new LSE Impact blog, @econromesh.bsky.social (Economics Observatory, CEP) argues economists must communicate findings as carefully as they produce them. blogs.lse.ac.uk/impactofsoci...

Did Brexit make us better at communicating economics? - LSE Impact

The referendum on the UK’s membership of the EU was a watershed moment for research communication. Despite a near total academic consensus on the negative economic consequences of a vote to Leave, thi...

blogs.lse.ac.uk

Protectionism and platform revenues By Massimo Morelli, Gianmarco Ottaviano and Tommaso Sonno Read at: https://ow.ly/LriN50ZlrTv

Trade and the scopes of pollution: evidence from China’s world market integration By Stefano Carattini, Hanwei Huang, Frank Pisch and Tejendra Pratap Singh Read at: https://ow.ly/x3KP50ZlrRN

Input uncertainty and firm performance: evidence from critical minerals By Viet Nguyen-Tien Read at: https://ow.ly/8wKx50ZjYHO

International trade in an uncertain world By Benny Kleinman, Ernest Liu, Stephen J. Redding and David Xu Read at: https://ow.ly/Q5Qu50ZjYHs

Why should wellbeing be a priority for policymakers? In the BBC's Radical with Amol Rajan, Lord Richard Layard discusses how we measure wellbeing, why young people are increasingly unhappy, and how policy can help build happier lives. 🎧 www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

Radical with Amol Rajan - Happiness Rules: Should Wellbeing Dictate Government Policy? (Lord Richard Layard) - BBC Sounds

The author and economist wants to give happiness political primacy.

bbc.co.uk

Tariff confusion By Kalina Manova, Dennis Novy, Thomas Sampson and Aaron Tang Read at: https://ow.ly/nV2h50ZjYG6

Stay in the loop with the CEP newsletter. Fresh economics delivered to your inbox every month. In July: 🪖 Making defence spending pay 🌏 Immigration after Brexit 💻 Impact of AI on entry-level jobs Read and subscribe: https://ow.ly/246l50Zk0MG

Drawing on new evidence about innovation spillovers, Ralf Martin, Maxwell Read, Arjun Shah, Anna Valero and Dennis Verhoeven demonstrate which policy choices are most likely to strengthen local economies. In CentrePiece magazine

Informing industrial strategy for clean technologies

Spillovers from innovation can boost regional growth

cep.lse.ac.uk

Find out more about the way in which political polarisation is shaping the creation of new technologies – and all our futures. By Gaia Dossi and Marta Morando in CentrePiece magazine

Polarisation is not a myth

Political views shape the creation and spread of technology

cep.lse.ac.uk

“In my view, the most illuminating advances came when trade borrowed from labour economics to confront how trade, technology and institutions interact in practice rather than in abstraction,” Swati Dhingra shares her must-read papers

My must-read paper

Discover Swati Dhingra’s recommended reading on trade economics

cep.lse.ac.uk

Ofsted downgrades lead to significant salary reductions for heads and increase the likelihood that they will leave the profession altogether. Upgrades, in contrast, bring little measurable reward. Shqiponja Telhaj in CentrePiece.

When Ofsted downgrades schools, headteachers pay the price

A high-risk, low-reward system affects the supply of teachers

cep.lse.ac.uk

Changes in US tariff policy in 2025 reduced US imports – and the effect was amplified by confusion created by frequent and complex policy announcements, our new discussion paper, Tariff Confusion, shows. Read the full paper here: https://cep.lse.ac.uk/pubs/download/dp2195.pdf UCL

Waste segregation is key to cheaper and more environmentally friendly waste management. Swati Dhingra and Stephen Machin report on a scheme that uses in-person visits to boost recycling rates. Read more in CentrePiece magazine

Why waste segregation policies fail – and how training makes them work

Reducing landfill use cuts greenhouse gas emissions and costs less

cep.lse.ac.uk