By: Paul Ormerod

Paul Ormerod is an economist at Volterra Partners LLP, author and an Honorary Professor at the Alliance Business School at the University of Manchester

All 233 Articles

Economic performance under Labour and Conservative governments: a reckoning

May 29, 2024

Voter apathy over the upcoming election is rational – history suggests the economic outcome will be broadly the same regardless of whether Labour or the Conservatives form the next government, says Paul Ormerod The election campaign has kicked off and already the air is thick with promises and counter-promises. Despite all the efforts of politicians [...]
Does Manchester City prove you can buy success?

May 22, 2024

Manchester City's fourth consecutive Premiership victory is just one example of the concentration of success in football among a few clubs
Starmer’s labour market reforms will put people out of work

May 15, 2024

Keir Starmer's plans to expand workers' rights will push up the cost of hiring people and push some people out of their jobs
The history of rail suggests renationalisation will make little difference

May 3, 2024

Britain has never cracked the formula for cheap, efficient, reliable rail, so what makes Labour think renationalisation is the answer?
Have we passed peak electric car?

April 24, 2024

Electric cars have not become better or cheaper fast enough, and without rapid improvements the market will run out of road, says Paul Ormerod This week I got rid of my electric car. As a car, it was a pleasure to drive. I also enjoyed the fact that it disconcerted at least some of my [...]
Beneath the jargon, Bernanke delivers devastating critique of the Bank of England

April 17, 2024

Leading economist Ben Bernanke has exposed the flawed modelling and out-of-date technology behind the Bank’s failures to forecast inflation, says Paul Ormerod Last week, Ben Bernanke, former chairman of the US Federal Reserve Bank and Nobel Laureate in economics, published his review into the process of forecasting and policymaking at the Bank of England. You [...]
Scotland’s risible hate crime law is an incentive for the police to fail

April 10, 2024

It’s easy to laugh at the latest example of SNP incompetence, but new hate crime laws will have serious consequences – not last for the police’s ability to solve actual crimes, says Paul Ormerod The Scottish hate crime law has been a prominent feature in the media ever since it came into force just over [...]
As Derby’s historic rail industry declines, it should look to Redcar for a model of letting go

April 3, 2024

From steelworks to freeport, Redcar's redevelopment offers a model for moving on which Derby may wish to follow, writes Paul Ormerod.
The big challenge isn’t funding public services, it’s making them productive

March 27, 2024

With the public sector no more efficient than it was in the late 1990s, it's time to start seriously scrutinising our public services, writes Paul Ormerod.
What if the OBR is too optimistic about growth?

March 21, 2024

Chancellors preparing for Budgets fret over their fiscal headroom, but what matters in the long-term is the trend rate of growth. And if the OBR has it’s projections wrong, there will be big consequence for the next government, says Paul Ormerod The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) published its economic and fiscal outlook document in [...]

Healey’s self-assessment tax shakeup could lead to ‘brutal cash crunch’ for self-employed

No bids for West Ham’s London Stadium amid reported £50m asking price

Gherkins and guffawing: Watching my first Budget, an idiot’s blow-by-blow account

By: Paul Ormerod

All 233 Articles

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