As an occasional Huffington Post blogger with an interest in both politics and economics perhaps I could say some thoughts that reflect the passing of Baroness Margaret Thatcher. Margaret Thatcher was reputed to have done much for the reform of the British labour market; she was also Britain's first female...

Political representation of the police force is clearly a vital issue for any government. Margaret Thatcher found this essential fact out when she achieved election in 1979. At that time she was starting to introduce a number of political initiatives that were profoundly unpopular with the youth of the nation....

Some commentators consider when assessing domestic politics that two of the party leaders that stood in 2010 will not carry forward their party during the next election in 2015. At this time we are half way through a predicted period between general elections. This is extremely unusual for Britain. Normally...

In Pursuit of Growth

Economic growth is the increase in the amount of the goods and services produced by an economy over time. It is conventionally measured as the percent rate of increase in real gross domestic product, or real GDP.

Post War History of Britain's Economic Growth

Throughout...

The euro, while a bold idea, is being tested at the moment. Whilst British exposure to Greek debt is more limited, there are a number of countries where their banks are more disposed to the possibility of Greek default.

Default on the Greek debts has now been put off...

I was brought up in a more angry expressive age. The cold war and the dread of nuclear annihilation meant that war would be unlikely to follow unless it was mutually assured destruction. As a young man in this climate I had the opportunity to go to university. I received...

As most British universities recommence for the next academic year, many fledgling learners will be starting on these courses as the last cohort of students to go through university without the up to £9000 debt annually. Faced with the prospects of student debt in their selection of degree course, many...

Electoral reform of some sort has long been an objective of the Liberal Democratic Party. More recently they have increased their support but electoral reform has long remained an objective. Over the last forty years there have been two hung parliaments. The first in 1974 and more recently in 2010.

Grade inflation can devalue students' achievements but there is an economic explanation as to why this happens. Assessment of service sector output is omnipresent. But with school exam results, following this years admirable A level results, executive pay continually rising and audit standards falling, can it always be regarded as...

Moral hazard occurs when a party insulated from risk may behave differently than it would behave if it were fully exposed to the risk.

In economics the notion of moral hazard has always been something I have found difficult to explain/teach. In the English language moral hazard has an amusing...

How 'hard' do you work in your activities at your workplace?

The appropriate response for most individuals in their job in Britain should always be 'very' hard. Britain has now become a workaholic society. Recently I have heard the phrase "we relish the challenge." Nowadays only correspondents from the...