My Sunday Times piece: 10-year plans are fine, but prime ministers don’t last that long these days. Where we do need a plan is for not continuing to kick the can down the road on debt: Andy Burnham’s ten-year plan won’t save UK from a debt trap www.thetimes.com/article/2efe...

Andy Burnham’s ten-year plan won’t save UK from a debt trap

The new PM wants lasting change in social care, defence and jobs, but however long he is in office he can’t lose sight of the debt trap in the distance

thetimes.com

My Sunday Times piece: 10-year plans are fine, but prime ministers don’t last that long these days. Where we do need a plan is for not continuing to kick the can down the road on debt: Andy Burnham’s ten-year plan won’t save UK from a debt trap www.thetimes.com/article/2efe...

Andy Burnham’s ten-year plan won’t save UK from a debt trap

The new PM wants lasting change in social care, defence and jobs, but however long he is in office he can’t lose sight of the debt trap in the distance

thetimes.com

My Times piece: Shoppers have been splashing the cash during the heatwave, but can the consumer upturn survive higher inflation and months of tax speculation leading up to the autumn budget? Retail rise is cause for optimism but confidence is fragile www.thetimes.com/article/fe15...

Retail rise is cause for optimism but confidence is fragile

Consumer sentiment has been negative for more than a decade, suggesting increased spending should be enjoyed while it lasts

thetimes.com

My Times piece: Shoppers have been splashing the cash during the heatwave, but can the consumer upturn survive higher inflation and months of tax speculation leading up to the autumn budget? Retail rise is cause for optimism but confidence is fragile www.thetimes.com/article/fe15...

Retail rise is cause for optimism but confidence is fragile

Consumer sentiment has been negative for more than a decade, suggesting increased spending should be enjoyed while it lasts

thetimes.com

Crisis, what crisis? It was the hot summer of ‘76, Jaws was in the cinema & Chancellor Healey was feeling the heat. Superb @cssjournal.bsky.social piece by the fab Sunday Times econ editor @dsmitheconomics.bsky.social on the IMF crisis revisited. Free-to-view! www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

Summer of ‘76: Jaws was in the cinema & Chancellor Healey was feeling the heat. Grrat @cssjournal.bsky.social piece by brilliant Sunday Times econ editor @dsmitheconomics.bsky.social on the IMF crisis revisited. Free-view coming soon www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

Thank you, David

Prof David Bailey@dgbailey.bsky.social · last wk.

Summer of ‘76: Jaws was in the cinema & Chancellor Healey was feeling the heat. Grrat @cssjournal.bsky.social piece by brilliant Sunday Times econ editor @dsmitheconomics.bsky.social on the IMF crisis revisited. Free-view coming soon. @acadsocsciences.bsky.social www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

Summer of ‘76: Jaws was in the cinema & Chancellor Healey was feeling the heat. Grrat @cssjournal.bsky.social piece by brilliant Sunday Times econ editor @dsmitheconomics.bsky.social on the IMF crisis revisited. Free-view coming soon. @acadsocsciences.bsky.social www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

The 1976 IMF crisis revisited

In 1976, the British government went ‘cap in hand’ to the International Monetary Fund to secure a foreign currency loan to prevent a further slide in the value of sterling. The currency was already...

tandfonline.com

A thousand times over, yes.

David Smith@dsmitheconomics.bsky.social · 2w ago

My Sunday Times piece: With Andy Burnham talking openly about possible tax changes, the chancellor faces an uphill task in preventing pre-budget speculation even worse than that of the past two years: Chancellor John Healey must keep a lid on budget speculation www.thetimes.com/article/2a7e...

My Sunday Times piece: With Andy Burnham talking openly about possible tax changes, the chancellor faces an uphill task in preventing pre-budget speculation even worse than that of the past two years: Chancellor John Healey must keep a lid on budget speculation www.thetimes.com/article/2a7e...

Chancellor John Healey must keep a lid on budget speculation

The new face in No 11 has been handed a difficult inheritance as tax revenues are destined for record levels

thetimes.com

My Sunday Times piece: With Andy Burnham talking openly about possible tax changes, the chancellor faces an uphill task in preventing pre-budget speculation even worse than that of the past two years: Chancellor John Healey must keep a lid on budget speculation www.thetimes.com/article/2a7e...

Chancellor John Healey must keep a lid on budget speculation

The new face in No 11 has been handed a difficult inheritance as tax revenues are destined for record levels

thetimes.com

My Sunday Times piece: The new prime minister will not be short of good economic advice for fixing the economy and the public finances. But will he be bold enough to act on it, even if it risks unpopularity? Andy Burnham mustn’t be afraid to tackle the triple lock www.thetimes.com/article/d3b1...

Andy Burnham mustn’t be afraid to tackle the triple lock

As taxes bite while public services ‘deteriorate’ amid stagnant growth, a report shows how to make a ‘great escape’, including slaughtering sacred cows

thetimes.com

My Sunday Times piece: The new prime minister will not be short of good economic advice for fixing the economy and the public finances. But will he be bold enough to act on it, even if it risks unpopularity? Andy Burnham mustn’t be afraid to tackle the triple lock www.thetimes.com/article/d3b1...

Andy Burnham mustn’t be afraid to tackle the triple lock

As taxes bite while public services ‘deteriorate’ amid stagnant growth, a report shows how to make a ‘great escape’, including slaughtering sacred cows

thetimes.com

Writes a moron who hasn’t read the piece

Wayne Dickson@waynedickson.bsky.social · 3w ago

He literally is. It's a long term project. I'm feel like I'm going insane. Our media is full of second-rate morons. Sorry, language unbefitting, but sadly appropriate.

Read the piece

Another Green@anothergreen.bsky.social · 3w ago

The next of one of I guess a thousand UK newspaper pieces that wont mention climate change but demonise net zero www.euronews.com/2025/12/23/u...

My Times piece: Ed Miliband is the bookies’ favourite to be the next chancellor, which will alarm many in business. If he wants to turn that around, he should act to cut electricity prices: If Ed Miliband becomes chancellor, he should tackle energy prices www.thetimes.com/article/bf92...

If Ed Miliband becomes chancellor, he should tackle energy prices

Business is wary of the ex-Labour leader’s focus on net zero and redistribution. To unleash economic growth, he would do well to make the UK more competitive

thetimes.com

My Sunday Times piece: Germany has kept debt low, which is reflected in much lower government borrowing costs than the UK and also a credible plan to lift defence spending to 3.5% of GDP before 2030: Germany has had growth pains too, but it can teach us about debt www.thetimes.com/article/7f1f...

Germany has had growth pains too, but it can teach us about debt

Rough trade has taken a toll on the old economic powerhouse of Europe, yet bond markets are rewarding its approach to keeping borrowing under control

thetimes.com

My Sunday Times piece: Germany has kept debt low, which is reflected in much lower government borrowing costs than the UK and also a credible plan to lift defence spending to 3.5% of GDP before 2030: Germany has had growth pains too, but it can teach us about debt www.thetimes.com/article/7f1f...

Germany has had growth pains too, but it can teach us about debt

Rough trade has taken a toll on the old economic powerhouse of Europe, yet bond markets are rewarding its approach to keeping borrowing under control

thetimes.com

Read the piece

Alex Briggs@tickyw.bsky.social · last mo.

Borrowing to invest ain't a problem! Interest on debt, say 5% per annum. If return on investment in new council house stock (savings in HB and hotel bills) is higher than 5% then govt returns a surplus.

Read the piece

Steve Jary@unionsteve.bsky.social · last mo.

Businesses borrow to invest. Why is it so bad for the public sector to borrow in order to grow its assets?

Read the piece

Alex J-W@alexjw.bsky.social · last mo.

Oh no borrowing to build assets! I mean who could imagine borrowing money to build or buy a house? Ridiculous and reckless idea…

And has been for many years. The renewed interest in public sector provision of housing is rather like the new found enthusiasm for devolution. If Burnham achieves little else, changing the conversation about housing and local government will have been a major achievement.

David Smith@dsmitheconomics.bsky.social · last mo.

My Sunday Times piece: Britain has been short of council homes since Margaret Thatcher’s right-to-buy sell-off. So a policy of trying to fill the gap is a good idea, despite the many obstacles: Burnham is right about council houses. But it means more borrowing www.thetimes.com/article/0bf1...

Thank you

EconomicsInTen@economicsinten.bsky.social · last mo.

Great article as always from @dsmitheconomics.bsky.social & it feels like building council houses can be good from a youth unemployment perspective as well. There needs to be an easy system of finding training for construction work to plug the skills gap. #EconSky podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/t...

Great article as always from @dsmitheconomics.bsky.social & it feels like building council houses can be good from a youth unemployment perspective as well. There needs to be an easy system of finding training for construction work to plug the skills gap. #EconSky podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/t...

David Smith@dsmitheconomics.bsky.social · last mo.

My Sunday Times piece: Britain has been short of council homes since Margaret Thatcher’s right-to-buy sell-off. So a policy of trying to fill the gap is a good idea, despite the many obstacles: Burnham is right about council houses. But it means more borrowing www.thetimes.com/article/0bf1...

Thank you

Economics Teacher@busecon.bsky.social · last mo.

Superb article on the lasting damage of Thatcher’s Right to Buy scheme. Really don’t understand how we are prioritising £15bn for defence when, housing, schools and many other public services are in a mess

“The only realistic way of getting to 300,000 net additional dwellings a year, or 1.5 million over a parliament — the government’s target — is to build a lot more council houses”.

David Smith@dsmitheconomics.bsky.social · last mo.

My Sunday Times piece: Britain has been short of council homes since Margaret Thatcher’s right-to-buy sell-off. So a policy of trying to fill the gap is a good idea, despite the many obstacles: Burnham is right about council houses. But it means more borrowing www.thetimes.com/article/0bf1...

My Sunday Times piece: Britain has been short of council homes since Margaret Thatcher’s right-to-buy sell-off. So a policy of trying to fill the gap is a good idea, despite the many obstacles: Burnham is right about council houses. But it means more borrowing www.thetimes.com/article/0bf1...

Burnham is right about council houses. But it means more borrowing

More social housing is a good policy, but the prime minister-in-waiting’s vision will also require overcoming a shortage of skilled construction workers

thetimes.com

The second edition of North and South was published in the early 1990s. The theme of my book was that everything that had been tried to spread prosperity in the UK in the 20th century had failed. (£) www.thetimes.com/business/eco... By @dsmitheconomics.bsky.social

Andy Burnham faces uphill struggle to narrow North-South divide

Past failed policies to spread prosperity from London to our regional cities do not bode well for the prime minister-in-waiting

thetimes.com

My Times piece: Many have tried over the years to close the North-South divide but none have succeeded. Will our prime minister in waiting, instrumental in the North West’s revival, do any better? Andy Burnham faces uphill struggle to narrow North-South divide www.thetimes.com/article/3b58...

Andy Burnham faces uphill struggle to narrow North-South divide

Past failed policies to spread prosperity from London to our regional cities do not bode well for the prime minister-in-waiting

thetimes.com

My Times piece: Many have tried over the years to close the North-South divide but none have succeeded. Will our prime minister in waiting, instrumental in the North West’s revival, do any better? Andy Burnham faces uphill struggle to narrow North-South divide www.thetimes.com/article/3b58...

Andy Burnham faces uphill struggle to narrow North-South divide

Past failed policies to spread prosperity from London to our regional cities do not bode well for the prime minister-in-waiting

thetimes.com