I have written six book reviews this year

What a rare thing – a blog post. At the end of another writingful year I thought it worth noting a few of the achievements now likely to vanish into posterity. There are, after all, so many words out there, mostly words about words.  Like book reviews. I have written six this year, the most

Some writing I must hold up my hand to

I knock out about four leaders a week.  No, you cannot tell which are mine, officially, and in any case they reflect the FT View, not necessarily mine. Still worth reading though. (£), but so what. I also produce a few in my own name when so graced by the Comment section.  For neatness/vanity/posterity, here

New permanent role

In case it is not otherwise clear: I am now permanently employed by the Financial Times to write leaders.  This means I write about 2400 words a week for the best newspaper in the land, on topics judged to be important enough for the privilege.  Just you will not know it is me, and (crucially),

Gripping video about scandalous spads

So I spoke at the Institute for Government yesterday, next to a couple of much better people, Nick Hillman and Pamela Dow. UPDATE.  Something weird with URL.  Visit this link if you really want to see me in a shiny suit. Link It was all about my long-awaited pamphlet, hastily titled “The Unelected Lynchpin”, full

All that reading …

Since this will probably be the last post for a while, permit me a little off-topic indulgence. This probably has way more personal history than you wanted. I’ve been trying to work out what has been stressing me these last, ooh, 25 years and how to adjust my life accordingly. I don’t want stress, if

Status Anxiety

Thus far this holiday I’ve read Dune by Frank Herbert (there’s nothing like an imaginary desert world for a little escapism); The Lion and the Unicorn, on Gladstone and Disraeli and a multi decade rivalry; the illustrations and life of Osbert Lancaster; and am about a halfway through Chinese Whispers by Ben Chu, Patrick Lee

What ARE the big UK supply side issues?

The different way in which the Uk and USA have reacted to fairly similar NGDP pathways has occasioned some useful but high level blog commentary. The basic conclusion is that the UK suffered a supply shock as well as a demand shock; see Historinhas on the not so much Siamese twins qualities here, and Professor Sumner,

Read Robert Hetzel

Because I was on holiday I failed to notice and approve a comment from one of the greatest economists writing about money and the economy, on this very blog. I apologise. Robert Hetzel is one of the godfathers of the Market Monetarist school, and the book he has written and rightly recommended, The Great Recession:

Because holidays should be about relaxation

Blogging will be light  

Bleg: political memoires for summer reading

Reading Philip Stephens Politics and the Pound has reminded me how much I love reading political history, particularly with an economic slant. I am about to get 3 weeks off.  I would love to spend the child-free moments devouring more political memoires.  So: any good suggestions? I have already got through a fair few: Gladstone, Peel,