4.17 pm My Lords, in his Spring Statement, the Chancellor saw, “light at the end of the tunnel”.—[Official Report, Commons, 13/3/18; col. 718.] The light is pretty dim, and the tunnel has been much too long. The two are connected, the dimness of the light being largely the result of the length of the tunnel, … Continue reading Economy: Spring Statement

7.47 pm Lord Skidelsky (CB) My Lords, I will concentrate, as is my wont, on the macroeconomic implications of the Budget. That is not to say that supply-side questions are not important—of course they are. I agree with the noble Lord, Lord Maude, that a Government should not be exempt from the efficiency expected of … Continue reading Economy: Autumn Budget Statement

12.55 pm Lord Skidelsky (CB) My Lords, I, too, thank the noble Baroness, Lady McIntosh, for making this debate possible. The most dramatic economic effect of the United Kingdom’s Brexit vote has been the collapse of sterling. Since June, the pound has fallen by about 16% against a basket of currencies. Mervyn King, the former … Continue reading Economy: Currency Fluctuations

Motion to Take Note 1.07 pm Moved by Baroness Deech That this House takes note of the protection of freedom of speech in universities. 2.22 pm Lord Skidelsky (CB): My Lords, I, too, thank the noble Baroness, Lady Deech, for making possible this debate. I shall draw your Lordships’ attention to two threats to free … Continue reading Universities: Freedom of Speech

Infrastructure Bill Speech, 18 June 2014 Lord Skidelsky (CB): My Lords, a Bill on infrastructure that is mainly to do with the rearrangement of Whitehall agencies and minor improvements in planning application procedures invites the question of what the relationship is between its provisions and the promotion of investment in infrastructure. My first point is … Continue reading Infrastructure Bill

Leveson Inquiry Speech, Friday 11th January 2013 My Lords, almost everything that there is to say has already been said, not least by the noble Lord, Lord Prescott, so I will just concentrate on two points. First, there is the ingenuity of Leveson, which recognises that voluntary self-regulation via the almost toothless Press Complaints Commission … Continue reading Leveson Inquiry