News Briefing – 3/5/21
We’ve summarised the 15 key stories of the last week into an easily digestible briefing, so that you can stay up to date on what’s happening around the world. You can subscribe to receive the briefing in your inbox each week. Business & Economics Joe Biden unveiled his $1.8 trillion American Families Plan on Wednesday this week. The proposed spending increases and tax cuts focus … Continue reading News Briefing – 3/5/21
Chart of the Month – May 2021
This month’s Chart of the Month tracks the value of UK exports over time to both EU countries and non-EU countries. The most significant trend is that an increasing percentage of our exports are headed to markets other than the EU. Between 2010 and 2015, European demand for British exports remained low due to a slow recovery from the financial crisis and a weak euro … Continue reading Chart of the Month – May 2021
Assessing the Virtues of Negative Interest Rates
Early this year, the Bank of England (BoE) was reported to have instructed banks to prepare for negative interest rates within six months. The BoE purportedly did so as part of its plans for a monetary stimulus to resuscitate the UK economy ravaged by the Covid-19 pandemic. Economists have since been divided on whether driving the BoE’s base rate from the already ultra-low 0.1% to … Continue reading Assessing the Virtues of Negative Interest Rates
Sovereign Wealth Funds: Asset or Liability?
A Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF) is a fund managed by the state and comprised of income generated from the government’s surplus reserves. SWFs have been an important aspect of the economic landscape for almost two decades, and their numbers have increased dramatically since the 2008 Financial Crisis, with over 100 funds controlling nearly $8 trillion in assets globally. Many Sovereign Wealth Funds have enjoyed great … Continue reading Sovereign Wealth Funds: Asset or Liability?
The Effects of Nationalisation on the British Coal Industry
Although Britain had defeated the Axis Powers in the Second World War, the country was falling from its status as the world’s sole economic heavyweight. 1945 was the second consecutive year that GDP per capita had fallen. Influenced by economists like William Beveridge and John Maynard Keynes, British economic policy operated under the guidance of the “Post-War Consensus”. From the end of the Second World … Continue reading The Effects of Nationalisation on the British Coal Industry
Climate Change and the Tragedy of the Commons
To what extent is climate change a result of the “Tragedy of the Commons” and how best might governments mitigate this problem? Continue reading Climate Change and the Tragedy of the Commons
The Future of the UK’s Sustainable Automotive Industry: Can it save us from a double-dip recession?
On the 18th of November 2020, Boris Johnson announced his Ten Point Plan to drive the UK’s ‘green industrial revolution’, an ambitious plan with reforms in many high-carbon industries such as electricity and transportation. With the predictions that unemployment could reach 2.6 million by mid-2021 along with the fears of a double-dip recession, we may ask whether such costly reforms are currently appropriate, given the … Continue reading The Future of the UK’s Sustainable Automotive Industry: Can it save us from a double-dip recession?
Can Blockchain Technology and Cryptocurrencies save the Internet of Things?
The world of technology and science is mutable and ever-changing. Therefore, businesses and the structure of society adapt to these developments in order to maximise profits: they are closely interconnected. The future of the internet is the Internet of Things (IoT), which is defined as “the interconnection via the internet of computing devices embedded in everyday objects, enabling them to send and receive data.” For … Continue reading Can Blockchain Technology and Cryptocurrencies save the Internet of Things?
News Briefing 26/04/2021
We’ve summarised the key stories from the Easter break into an easily digestible briefing, so that you can stay up to date on what’s happening around the world. You can subscribe to receive the briefing in your inbox each week. Business & Economics Plans for a European Super League have collapsed after two days, as all English teams announced their intention to withdraw. Criticised for its perceived elitism and uncompetitiveness, the project received … Continue reading News Briefing 26/04/2021
Chart of the Month – April 2021
This Chart of the Month shows who holds UK government debt. What is striking here is the increase in total debt after the 2008 financial crisis, as well as subtle changes to its ownership. Significantly, the total value of bonds held by the Bank of England (BoE) has increased from £0 to almost £895 billion, worth 25% of total government debt. This is due to the … Continue reading Chart of the Month – April 2021
