Archive for January, 2011
The price of freedom: now denominated in Euros
Posted by Stephen Clarke in Economics, European Union, Politics on 31/01/2011
Political developments had mixed effects upon global markets last week. Investors were reassured by comments on the eurozone from European leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos, then worried about the situation in Egypt and the uncertain fate of President Mubarak’s regime. These two different events, the pledges to save the Euro and the teetering regime in Egypt, both offer an interesting insight into the relationship between financial stability and democratic values.
Civitas has twitter!
Posted by David Merlin-Jones in Announcements on 28/01/2011
We have joined Twitter, where we will ‘tweet’ updates from our daily blog and publications.
Our name is Civitas_UK and click here to find us. Follow us to be informed what were doing, as it happens.
A Little Less Conversation…
Posted by Carolina Bracken in Civil Liberty, European Union, Foreign Affairs, Human Rights on 28/01/2011
Human Rights Watch World Report 2011 has slammed the EU for its overreliance on dialogue rather than action in tackling human rights abuse, and for its “obsequious” approach to known rights violators. Whilst there is no inherent harm in cooperative dialogue, the EU seems “particularly infatuated” with this discursive model.
An Olympic sized error
Posted by David Merlin-Jones in Economics, Politics, Tax and Spend on 27/01/2011
Here’s a cheap joke –
‘What’s the difference between manifesto pledges and promises made to unelected sports organisations?’
You can only break the former…
Funny? Probably not, but apt given this is the main objection to the better Spurs bid for the Olympic Stadium.
Is the minimum wage holding back job numbers?
Posted by Nick Cowen in Economics, Social Security on 25/01/2011
The always interesting Chris Dillow castigates Sam Bowman for his glib ‘econ 101′ answer to youth unemployment: abolish the minimum wage and allow youths to offer their labour for any price to employers. Chris has a point. The minimum wage, especially as it is currently constituted and enforced, probably has little impact on employment levels. However, combined with other labour market restrictions and the costs of compliance, it could still be having a deleterious effect that should be addressed given recent job losses.
Revolving door politics?
Posted by Stephen Clarke in Politics on 24/01/2011
Last Thursday Alan Johnson quit front-line politics, and with it his position as shadow chancellor of the exchequer. His replacement by Ed Balls was coupled with a major shadow cabinet reshuffle which saw Douglas Alexander becoming shadow foreign secretary, Liam Byrne becoming shadow work and pensions secretary, Tessa Jowell becoming the shadow Cabinet Office minister and Balls’ wife Yvette Cooper becoming shadow home secretary.
