Chart of the Month – February 2023

Strikes in the UK are at a record high. February’s Chart of the Month examines the causes behind this unparalleled increase of discontent in wages and its implications on the UK’s economic recovery. In the last 10 years, there have been two spikes in working days lost to strikes. Over several days in July 2014, millions of people took part in protests, including teachers, firefighters, … Continue reading Chart of the Month – February 2023

Reviving the tiger: Ireland’s property struggles

In Ireland, hidden behind a guise of Guinness, pubs and charm, homelessness runs rampant. The soaring price of houses has made renting the far more attractive alternative. But landlords have seized the opportunity to increase the price of rents too. It is estimated that 50,000 new homes need to be constructed every year in order to ease the shortage, but the real rate of construction … Continue reading Reviving the tiger: Ireland’s property struggles

Tourism and Development: the path less travelled

Recent decades have seen an unprecedented amount of economic development as ’emerging nations’ have sought to raise incomes per capita and reduce levels of absolute poverty. Their economies have grown, and citizens have experienced an improvement in their overall standard of living.  Developing countries share some characteristics such as lower growth, lower standards of living, worse education, and lower life-spans, when compared to developed countries. Many … Continue reading Tourism and Development: the path less travelled

The likely implications of sanctions on Russia

On 24 February 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine in a significant escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War (which began In 2014); in response, several countries imposed economic sanctions on Russia. The sanctions saw the various countries introduce an oil embargo, financial sanctions and a freeze of Russia’s currency reserves. The purpose of the sanctions was twofold: to put pressure on the war effort and Putin by undermining … Continue reading The likely implications of sanctions on Russia

The Dying Tiger: The Challenges Facing ASEAN

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), an economic bloc consisting of ten nations, is no stranger to praise.  By lifting tariffs on nearly 8,000 goods, increasing business access to neighbouring markets and lowering prices for consumers, it has reached an annual GDP growth of 4.6% (exceeding the global average of 3.2% by a sizeable margin), and has been frequently portrayed as an “unexpected success story … Continue reading The Dying Tiger: The Challenges Facing ASEAN

Terraced housing in the UK

Thatcher and the Right to Buy

Between 1945 and 1979, reducing unemployment remained one of the most crucial macroeconomic objectives of 20th century British fiscal policy. Keynesian economic policy was particularly influential in the period with both Labour and Conservative governments choosing to increase government spending as a part of demand-side strategy, all in the name of battling unemployment, stimulating growth in the economy and nationalising the commanding heights of industries.  … Continue reading Thatcher and the Right to Buy