Tim Worstall

In a departure from Labour’s policy at the general election, Johnson will call for a big increase in capital spending on road building and construction – probably funded by a far higher levy on banks and action against bankers’ bonuses – to boost economic activity and create jobs. Well, aye. But let’s stick with strictly [...]

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At the ASI. More on why we want markets in everything.

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Cotton prices touched their highest level since Reconstruction on Friday, as a string of bad harvests and demand from China spark worries of a global shortfall. Idiots. The December cotton contract hit $1.1980 a pound minutes after the opening of trading on the IntercontinentalExchange Inc. on Friday. It is officially the highest price since records [...]

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Ahem. Essentially, he’s taking the growth rate in the longest boom ever as the trend growth rate. Everything else flows from that. And, sadly, the growth rate during the longest boom ever is not in fact the trend growth rate. For long booms, as Keynes himself continually pointed out, will lead to bubbles, bubbles which [...]

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Via, this. So, given that tungsten bulbs give off more heat than light, redefine them as “heatballs” and beat the EU ban. Now then, we know people who can build websites, shipping logistics I’ve done before, I know how to source light bulbs (err, yes, I do work in the lighting industry, partly at least) [...]

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Yup, this’ll do it: JAMES Blunt is to belt out his hits on a morale-boosting trip to Afghanistan. The You’re Beautiful singer, 36, will travel to the war-torn country in December to cheer up the troops. Cheer up all the troops not in Afghanistan that is.

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Amusing little theory here: Over a seven-year period, the US market share of box-office takings in British cinemas was between 63% and 80%. The UK share, which was mainly for American co-productions, was between 15% and 30%; films from Europe and the rest of the world took only 2% to 3%. So for most people [...]

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There is no place in the rules for the tinkle of the bell at a much-loved local bookshop or the pride in a high street that looks distinctive, yet people value these things. If people did value these things then they would spend their cash so as to preserve these things. Yet when offered the [...]

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At the ASI. Yes, we do want to have markets in everything

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Secondly, an £83bn cut in spending accelerates both poverty and inequality. There is no escape for the obvious reason that most spending is on those who need it most. And Mike Brewer of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, a cautious outfit, says it is bound to hit the poorest most: “It would be astounding if [...]

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Analysts said she came across as a credible candidate in the debate. Taylor Marsh, a veteran political commentator, said: “Sharron Angle passed the ‘I’m not crazy test’ with flying colours.” You might think that that isn’t the sternest of tests that a politician might have to pass. But there are those who do get elected [...]

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Jeebus, is it really this bad? The remaining 54 factories are projected to make losses of £138.6 million this year. A Whitehall source said: “Remploy factories are effectively paying disabled people to do nothing. Most factories have no work. We realise this is not something that will go quietly or smoothly, but it is important for [...]

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A new, and very boring, my word it’s boring, writing gig. Example, example, example. These pay, sob, sob, £10 a pop. The scandium market is slow and to get Schloss Worstall on the right financial track for the new year/spring sort of thing I need to do, gulp, 2,000 or so of these. Eeek! Blogging [...]

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I had the privilege of meeting with him last week at a fascinating Symposium on Sustainable Tourism in the Maldives. Sir Jonathan Porritt Bt. CBE. No, no, of course Sir Jonathan didn’t fly off on holiday to the Maldives. He was there for a symposium on sustainable tourism. You know, we are explorers, you are [...]

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A comment left there: It’s meretricious shit like this that gives you lefties a bad name you know. You say: “There is a highly progressive element to any proposed STT, as a large part of the burden of an STT would fall on owners of traded securities. High-income individuals possess a “disproportionate share of financial [...]

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…..including an increase in the absurdly low rates of corporation tax paid by big business in this country. Umm, what absurdly low rates are those? Umm: The UK (in 2006) got 4% of GDP from taxes on corporate income. The OECD average is 3.9%. EU 15, 3.4%. So our “absurdly low” rates are higher than [...]

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