Category Archives: Economics

Covid-19’s Death Rate: A Consequence of Austerity?

Posted on September 10, 2020 by

The political consequence of the 2008 banking crisis was a Conservative led coalition, whose principal economic policy was austerity. This meant a dramatic reduction in the size of the state, especially local government and Britain’s welfare system. Unexpectedly there was … Continue reading →

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Canary Wharf Housing Opening Soon

Posted on September 3, 2020 by
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The Politics of Obesity in Britain, 2010-20

Posted on August 13, 2020 by

“purpose of government is not to do good,” but to “secure the rights of human beings to go about their lives peaceably, knowing that they will not be aggressed against by others.” “eat, drink and be merry” [for tomorrow we … Continue reading →

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Why the west is stagnant

Posted on July 6, 2020 by

Thomas Piketty, the French economist, calculates that more than half of total wealth in Germany today is inherited — an estimate confirmed by German economists. In the 1960s and 1970s, the share was just a little over 20 per cent. … Continue reading →

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Book Review: Tim Harford ~ Messy: How to be creative and resilient in a tidy-minded world (2016)

Posted on July 6, 2020 by

Britain had a TV show whose catch phrase was, ‘The computer says no’ and it reflected a stifled uncreative world. It satirises the mechanistic attempt at deleting risk from everyday life looking for monochrome ‘perfection’. A hideous uncreative world doomed … Continue reading →

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The Mozart Problem: Educating Exceptional Children

Posted on July 2, 2020 by

He was playing the harpsichord and the violin at the age of five, and writing little pieces of music.* Introduction Mozart’s father was a musician and realised Wolfgang was exceptional. Leopold home schooled his son, constantly expanding his musical frontiers. … Continue reading →

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A very brisk Mother Superior in a French convent

Posted on June 25, 2020 by

[Her] account includes being told by the [Mother] Superior that if a doctor advised a surgical operation, “your Superiors will decide whether your life is of sufficient value to the community to justify the expense. If it is not, you … Continue reading →

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Havering’s ‘Streets in the Sky’

Posted on June 25, 2020 by

Tower Block Residents High rise tenants and leaseholders pay for communal lighting as a separate charge. This additional to Council tax. Apart from Tower Block Residents Council tax covers street lighting, which is part of the service embedded within the … Continue reading →

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British Health and Covid-19

Posted on June 21, 2020 by

Coronavirus is a well understood disease.* There are international strategies in place for meeting the challenges which are presented. Covid-19 is a novel sub-species of a well known disease. Public ignorance, fuelled by governments, has given it lethal qualities which, … Continue reading →

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Brexit, Northern Ireland and Unification

Posted on June 4, 2020 by

The 2016 Brexit referendum aggregated all UK votes into a single total. England’s majority swamped the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish vote, which immediately cast a doubt on the idea of a shared political identity. Brexit’s authority however depended on … Continue reading →

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