The contested details of the latest proposals from the UK Chancellor are only partly illustrative of the momentous economic challenge that lies behind and beyond the Budget, says Simon Barrow. Right now the entire system based at Westminster is failing adequately to comprehend and address, let alone tackle, the really big issues in which economics is a major factor.
A leading economist has told business leaders they are making a “terrible mistake” in backing drastic spending cuts announced by the coalition government.
The Archbishop of Canterbury and the Guardian's economics editor Larry Elliott have 'live launched' a new book on the role of morality and ethics in business.
The received wisdom perpetuated by the government is that deep and immediate public spending cuts are necessary and beneficial, says Simon Barrow. But there are strong economic arguments that point towards investment in long-term sustainability rather than hitting the most vulnerable to reduce the deficit.