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Let us build garden cities – but we cannot build enough to prevent a housing bubble
Samuel Brittan considers parallels in pre-election growth under chancellors Osborne and Barber
In a rare video interview, economic commentator Samuel Brittan sits down with FT editor Lionel Barber to reflect on the biggest stories in the period
The FT economics commentator recalls pivotal moments in the British political economy
UK chancellor will have to balance his austere instincts against political pressure to ‘do something’
Economists’ obsession over gross domestic product gives the concept an unnecessary air of mystification
Science and technology influence living standards but government still has a role
After the chancellor has delivered the Budget we never know whether we are richer or poorer
True equality may not not even be possible in death – Mozart was buried in a paupers’ grave
There are not many easily falsifiable theories in macroeconomics, so some prefer the micro side
If one analysis is correct, the continued existence of cows disproves the main tenets of capitalism
The current period is reminiscent of 1937, when Keynes said the time was wrong to boost spending
Promoting house-buying is a form of stimulus that does not overtly add to the fiscal deficit
It makes no sense to aim for a high rate in order to create jobs
The most serious concern is that it may create asset bubbles which it might be difficult to deflate
The fiscal policy deadlocks in Washington are a price worth paying for checks and balances
The figures that matter are how fast the economy is growing and how much spare capacity there is
The monetary policy fad is being undone by the element of surprise
Such proposals usually start with a real concern, exaggerate it and assume that citizens cannot be trusted
A defence of competitive markets is also a call to keep the faith
There is nothing wrong with the US economy a measure of redistribution would not put right
The single currency has failed to become the harmonising force that it was supposed to be
For policy purposes it is best to assume there is quite a lot of spare capacity in the UK economy
Forward guidance is fine, but central bank lending rates are only a means to an end
Ministers treat the economy as if it were a small shop writ large
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