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 218 Articles

A miniscule bit of growth last November is unlikely to save us from a recession this year

January 18, 2023

Whichever way you cut it, the UK is on the brink of a recession. A small boost in growth at the end of last year won't alleviate the cost-of-living crisis and inflation, writes Paul Ormerod
Sunak is right. If more Brits could do maths our economy might just start growing again

January 11, 2023

Sunak’s understanding of maths was an important strength during his time as Chancellor. He is right in promoting a model for education that focuses on improving numeracy skills, writes Paul Ormerod According to Rishi Sunak, everyone up to the age of 18 should be learning maths. It was an idea widely disparaged when the prime [...]
China’s zero-Covid policy must be a cautionary tale for the UK

January 4, 2023

The rise in Covid-19 cases in China has seen the return of travel restrictions – but Paul Ormerod argues the scientific evidence suggests lockdowns aren’t worth the cost – only shifting cases, rather than eliminating them As we greet the new year with the hope of more serene times ahead, some might do it with [...]
This Christmas, let’s all reconsider how we think about innovation, jobs and wages

December 21, 2022

There is still time to have a last minute Christmas present delivered. No, of course not by Royal Mail; but one of its enthusiastic competitors will do the job. Given the impact which technology in general and the internet in particular has had on postal service, it is hard to imagine a more pointless strike [...]
If we concede to the unions, Britain will find itself in a dizzying wage-price spiral

December 14, 2022

A wage price spiral. We have not experienced one for so long that for most people the phrase might just as well be written in the Old English of a thousand years ago. It is, well, sort of comprehensible but only just. But such spirals can take hold with terrifying swiftness. Towards the end of [...]
If you can build a football team, you can advance the fortunes of poor nations

December 7, 2022

In Qatar, there has been a storm over its treatment of women, the LGBT community, and other minorities. But it has also, in another way, been the most egalitarian World Cup. What used to be called “upsets”, with notionally weaker teams beating their alleged superiors have almost become the norm.
In low income parts of the UK, boosting productivity is a question of competition

November 30, 2022

Productivity is a puzzle with many different layers. When it becomes a mainstay in political speeches, it is rarely for a good reason. Most of the recent focus is on why it has been so slow, in the overall economy, for the last decade or so. In the 1990s, productivity in G7 countries rose at [...]
Housing Associations have no accountability and a 2-year-old has paid the price

November 23, 2022

The tragic death of Awaab Ishak, the two-year-old killed by exposure to mould, has been described in detail over the last week. We’ve heard of all the complaints made against Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH), the housing association which owned and managed the flat. And yet, the organisation appears to be full of self-congratulation. It boasts [...]
Everyone wants a pay rise, but we will have to pay with cuts to jobs or services

November 16, 2022

The nation seems to be in the grip of an epidemic of cognitive dissonance. Where is Matt Hancock when we really need him to impose a lockdown and save us from this menace? Two major events have put huge strain on the public finances. The pandemic led to government borrowing of some £400bn, around 20 [...]
Sunak’s flexibility has been curtailed by our undue reverence for the Bank of England

November 9, 2022

The Bank of England has forecast a long recession, which could last two years. A statement treated, unquestioningly, as gospel despite the variety of failures at Threadneedle Street.

Government departments will look at cutting budgets to fund defence, minister says

Can football conquer the US? Why culture is key this World Cup

The best places to eat sandwiches in Lisbon, from bifanas to pregos

By: Paul Ormerod

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