I should perhaps have been more explicit when I said ‘Signing Off’. This is the last post on this blog until further notice. I have unexpectedly been offered an advisory position to the new government, and so for many different reasons can no longer keep this going.
Many thanks to all of you for making this last 8.5 months such a success and education for me. CentreForum is starting a new blog at centreforumblog.wordpress.com – I hope that gets off the ground like this one did.
For the curious, these were the final stats
Total views: 76,220
Busiest day: 1,848 — Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Posts: 502
Comments: 3,319
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UPDATE: Thanks to you all below. You’ve all made this much more fun than it had a right to be. And I’ve learned an awful lot – this has been a thinking aloud tool, after all.
Freethinking Economist 
Congratulations!
Reading this blog has been a pleasure, and I know a couple of my A2 students are regulars too.
You will be missed.
I’m very sorry you’re suspending the blog. I’ve only recently discovered it, but I’ve been very much enjoying it. Your writing is engaging enough that I struggle through the parts that are beyond my very limited understanding of economics, with the result that I’ve found myself learning all sorts of things. So thanks for that, thanks very much indeed.
Many congratulations Giles, really pleased – best of luck on all you do, and here’s to seeing many of your CentreForum publications making it into policy now!
Cheers!
Back to dishonest work, then. 😉 Congratulations!
Not even all that unexpected. Well done and good luck.
Congratulations and good luck with the new job Giles! Going to have find somewhere else to go for my econ/political blog fix 😦
All the best.
The government’s gain is the blogosphere’s loss. I hope you find a way to carry on engaging in public debate though!
Congratulations. You’ve done the economy a favour already, forcing me back to doing some proper work for once. Good luck
Congratulations. Hopefully you will bring to public service some of your insight which has brought a lot of your readers private satisfaction.
In your advisory position, could you advise them not to be such bleeding idiots with the economy and that? Tell ’em I said so.
Never did respond on collective bargaining. Will do so into the void.
Good luck.
Pah. How am I supposed to hate them now? Well done, and your writing will be much missed.
Good luck in your new position – the speed & efficacy of your analysis of economic matters as demonstrated on this blog is exactly what we need right now.
Well, congratulations. More reassuring with you in there. I hope it’s DBS rather than HMT? Fingers crossed….
yes, many congratulations. No scope for the secret blog of a UK economic advisor?
Well I’ll join with those above in offering you a hearty congratulations in being invited to join the government. I hope you will put your new guru powers to good use, while not forgetting what you stand for when put under political pressure as governments are wont to do. Best of luck in serving your country. It’ll be sad to see this blog go. But such is the price of getting policies done in government I want done.
Congratulations Giles and good luck 🙂
Congratulations on the assignment, and best of luck, Giles.
I really enjoyed many of your comments and analyses, even though I’ve sometimes disagreed.
So you’ve considered you can achieve progressive ends through liberal means out there?
Whatever your position, I hope you’ll keep on striving for… free thinking!
Congratulations Giles. As others have said I will be sorry to see your blog end. The blog always had interesting posts and some well informed commenters with any disagreement conducted in a good spirit. Good luck with your new position.
Thanks for writing a fascinating blog (and helpful too – I’m an A Level student).
Will be missed!
Well given the distinct lack of linky-love coming out of this place the last month or so, I say good riddance!
No, seriously, this is a big loss to the UK blogosphere. A big gain to the government, no doubt, and I’m glad a sane voice will be heard in Whitehall.
It’s been a good 8.5 months, thanks for a lot of stimulating discussion and thoughtful analysis.
Don’t forget, however, that there’s always the power of anonymity, and BC will always be receptive to the leak…
Bleedin’ typical.
We used to get your analysis for free on these ‘ere intertubes. Now we have to pay for them through our taxes?
And not get to read them either?
S’ok Tim, he’s advising the British Government, not the Brussels Overlords. Your Portuguese taxes won’t be paying for Giles at all.
Tsk….read up on hte tax system. As UK domicile I still pay UK tax on income arising in the UK….
“offered an advisory position to the new government”
Which I suppose shows that the prime lesson of economics is that governments hire “Keynsians” of their own political stripe.
congratulations!
I hope you’ll be as dismissive of idiotic Tory thinking while in your advisory position as you have been on here and on LC.
A sad loss, good luck in all your new endeavours!
Giles, you will be missed–this was my favourite blog.
But the silver lining is that you have provided us all with a state-contingent insurance policy: _either_ the coalition proceeds smoothly and we get better government as a result of your advice, _or_ the coalition gets torn to shreds and we get you back as a blogger. It’s not quite a win-win, but it’s better than getting poked in the eye with a sharp stick.
Best of luck with your new position, and may you continue to be as reasonable and as persuasive in person as you have been here on your blog.
Very well deserved – it’s a comfort to think this government is taking on enquiring, intelligent, open minds like yours. Good luck with it!
Just as I discover this great blog, its author goes and takes the King’s Shilling!
Good luck Giles. I’m sure we haven’t heard the last of you.
Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!
Don’t go Giles – where are we going to go for reasoned, informed and inteleectual economic debate?
Good luck in your new post though.
Tyler.
Congratulations, but what a void in the economic blogosphere! Sadly your sane advice will be even more necessary now that David Laws has been hounded from office.
Thought I had sent you a congrats but obviously didnt.
Sorry to see you go but somehow I doubt that we have heard the last of you. Well done!
Giles
Just as I was catching up with you!
You absolute b-gger!
Well deserved, and your country needs you.
Hope we stay in touch.
John
I’ve been reading since the beginning, and am probably responsible for an unreasonably large number of your total hit count. Just to say thank-you, and good luck.
P.s It’s reassuring to see the government are giving credit where it’s due….(sorry couldn’t resist)!
Only just saw this.
I’ve delighted in reading your blog – all the best in the new post.
I’ve been following your blog for what mst be its entire time – though i didn’t realise when I started. But thank you – not only did I never pay, but probably neer recorded as I got it from google reader.
But wel done, thank you – you should be given a 6 figure newspaper column and a government job!