How the EU confounds its critics
The European Union’s reaction to coronavirus and its economic implications continues to defy the doom merchants. In the face of the usual Eurosceptic predictions of its collapse it has proved that economics…
Economics
Maxwell’s Brexit: A case of intangible destruction
Strip away from Brexit the bitterness, debate and division and what is left – an abrupt change of circumstance with a future that is unknowable, concludes John Egan. There has been no…
Maxwell’s Consumer: seeking a sustainable world
The recent uprising of the Gilets Jaunes in France is one idiosyncratic national reaction to a global problem. But global problems demand global answers and Maxwell’s demon offers a possible solution, writes…
Brexit dividend discovered in Sheffield
It is proving increasingly difficult to identify the benefits Brexit might bring. Now a team of economists based in Sheffield have detected an upside in deflating an over-bloated UK finance sector, writes…
Capitalism blame game: politician vs expert
So it is agreed, capitalism is broken – for many. Can it be fixed to make it more “inclusive and sustainable”? Yes, says a politician and an economist, but their remedies diverge….
Italian storms darken European horizon
A new “anti-system” political coalition in Italy is stirring up the relative tranquillity of the Eurozone economy. Banks and businesses are fastening their seatbelts and preparing for a bumpy ride, John Egan…
How much does your neighbour earn?
John Egan takes a look at the complexities entailed in answering the question. If you would like to know how well off you are, you do not have to look far –…
Chief-Exec series: The iceberg of intangible capital
From running a business to managing an economy, understanding the value and whereabouts of capital assets is vital. But this isn’t as easy as it sounds, writes John Egan. What are the…
Chief-Exec series: Lifting the lid on UK productivity
Here is a chart that reveals a UK economy in the doldrums and shows where it could be heading. John Egan decribes the challenges this presents to raising the nation’s prosperity and…
Analysis: Amazon and the power of capital
On the 150th anniversary of the publication of Karl Marx’s Das Kapital, we add our energy-dissipative view of the interactions of labour and capital in the operations of a commercial enterprise. Boil…