Managing Housing-Market Risks in the United Kingdom
By Ruy Lama: House prices are rising rapidly in the UK at an annual rate of 10.5 percent. House price inflation is particularly high in London (20 percent per year), and it is gradually accelerating in...
View ArticleThe UK’s Immigration Quandary
Immigration is an issue it would be easy to file away in the “too difficult” drawer. Is it one of those where good economics – most economists would say it brings net benefits for the country – can...
View ArticleDisagreement Over Scotland’s Oil Wealth Fuels Independence Debate
By Andy Tully: Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond continues to insist that the strong future of Scottish oil would provide major support for the country if it achieves independence from the United...
View ArticleFAQ: Scottish Referendum
What is the Scottish Referendum? Scotland has been a part of the UK for over 300 years. Last year, Scotland reached an agreement with the UK to hold a referendum on Scottish independence. The...
View ArticleAn Independent Scotland: Poorer, More Unstable, Fiscally Weak
In 9 days, voters in Scotland will decide on whether their country should go it alone. The latest Sunday-Times YouGov poll shows a two-point lead for the “yes” camp. The outcome is now too close to...
View ArticleEconomics Isn’t Physics: Scottish Edition
Scotland is set to vote next week on independence from the United Kingdom and a new poll gives the pro-independence supporters a small edge for the first time. What’s interesting, and perhaps tragic,...
View ArticleSocial Entrepreneurship Enters the Mainstream
From the Multilateral Investment Fund Trends blog Once a niche concept at the intersection of business and development, “social entrepreneurship” is now mainstream. A social entrepreneur, according to...
View ArticleThe City, Wall Street, and the Great Renminbi Race
photo by: Sam Valadi Of the world’s two largest international financial centers, London is warming up to the renminbi, but Wall Street is running behind. Recently, the former mayor of New York City...
View ArticleBrexit!
In 1932, British author Aldous Huxley published the novel ‘Brave New World’. On 23 June 2016, 51.9% (Figure 1) of the British people decided to write their own version of a ‘Brave New World’ with a...
View ArticleA Trivially Overlooked Brexit Scenario and Its Potential Aftermath in Early 2016
Although in early 2016 very few economists and analysts would bet their farms on a likely Brexit scenario, its serious systemic consequences and insightful potential root causes were clearly detailed...
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