May 1 2024 William White is right (Letters, April 29) to say that John Maynard Keynes regarded the rate of interest as “highly conventional”, but he should have quoted the whole sentence from chapter 15 of The General Theory: “The difficulties in the way of [full employment] ensue from the association of a conventional and … Continue reading Letter: The reason Keynes argued for an active fiscal policy
Category: Financial Times
Letter: The economic conditions that make wars more likely
FEBRUARY 17 2023 One year has passed since the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and nothing seems to indicate that the flames of war are dying. Why does the war still continue? Why are military tensions rising in the world? We reject the thesis of a “clash of civilisations”. Rather, we need to recognise … Continue reading Letter: The economic conditions that make wars more likely
Letter: Just look at the map to see Moscow’s point of view
Martin Wolf is right to say that Vladimir Putin has ignited an indefensible war against Ukraine (Opinion, March 2). That it is worse than a crime is a folly highlighted by your report about Kharkiv, described as “another Stalingrad” (March 3). You do not call Ukrainians your brothers, then bomb them into submission. Whatever the … Continue reading Letter: Just look at the map to see Moscow’s point of view
Letter: Just look at the map to see Moscow’s point of view
Martin Wolf is right to say that Vladimir Putin has ignited an indefensible war against Ukraine (Opinion, March 2). That it is worse than a crime is a folly highlighted by your report about Kharkiv, described as “another Stalingrad” (March 3). You do not call Ukrainians your brothers, then bomb them into submission. Whatever the … Continue reading Letter: Just look at the map to see Moscow’s point of view
Letter: Remember Kissinger’s advice to the Ukrainians
Nato governments have rightly said they are willing to address Russia’s security concerns, but then say in the same breath that Russia has no legitimate security concerns because Nato is a purely defensive alliance. Whether we like it or not, a Nato that now borders Russia and could in future border even more of Russia … Continue reading Letter: Remember Kissinger’s advice to the Ukrainians
Letter: The UK’s failing economic model demands such bold ideas
Below is the text of a letter to the editor of the Financial Times, signed by Lord Skidelsky alongside 81 other signatories, and published on 6th September 2019. Your series of articles exploring the Labour party’s economic agenda fails to appreciate the severity of the UK’s current economic condition, and reproduces a number of misconceptions. … Continue reading Letter: The UK’s failing economic model demands such bold ideas
A tweak to helicopter money will help the economy take off
Theresa May, the UK prime minister, has all but repudiated the economic policies of the previous chancellor of the exchequer, George Osborne. She has promised an “industrial strategy to get the whole economy moving”. What form should a renovated economic strategy take? The immediate problem to overcome is the uncertainty engendered by the Brexit vote. … Continue reading A tweak to helicopter money will help the economy take off
Supply matters – but so does demand
Co-authored with Marcus Miller At long last, the defenders of George Osborne’s deficit-reduction strategy have come up with a reasoned case. The thoughtful argument in support of the UK chancellor is made by Ryan Bourne and Tim Knox, economists at the centre-right Centre for Policy Studies think-tank. They say that Britain suffered a huge supply … Continue reading Supply matters – but so does demand
One more chance for Osborne to change course
On Wednesday in his Autumn Statement George Osborne, the chancellor, is expected to admit that it will take three more years of austerity than originally planned to bring borrowing under control. Extravagant hopes are being placed on Mark Carney, the newly appointed Bank of England governor. There will be talk of an incipient recovery meeting … Continue reading One more chance for Osborne to change course
Enough is enough of the age of consumption
Co-authored with Edward Skidelsky Until fairly recently economists envisaged three stages of economic development. First, there was the stage of capital accumulation started by the industrial revolution. The Marxist historian Eric Hobsbawm called it the age of capital. Society saved a large part of its income to invest in capital equipment. The world gradually filled … Continue reading Enough is enough of the age of consumption
Robert Skidelsky 