The two sides of Black Friday

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2020 will go down in history as the ‘push me-pull you’ year with broad well-being of the economy at loggerheads with the well-being of its people. On-off and stop-go, many UK businesses such as pubs, sports institutions, hairdressers and beauty salons as well as consumers have been confused, frustrated and intimidated by this up andRead more

What is being done to promote Britain’s exporters – and what should be done?

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Huw Edwards and Tien-Der Jerry Han, SBE, and Shan Rambukwella, Derby  After Brexit, supporting Britain’s exporters has become more important. Britain’s share of global exports has been sliding for many years, and we lag behind our main competitors, particularly in goods exports. Faced with barriers to Europe, we may need to find new export markets.  Government reviews its export promotionRead more

Road transport – what’s gone wrong?

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Almost all goods are transported by road. Food, clothes, cars, electronics whether imported via ship/air or home produced, they must eventually hit the road before their final destination – your home. Our road network and transport hubs can be thought of as a vast machine of critical importance to trade and growth in the UK.Read more

Why is Tesla selling insurance and what does it mean for drivers?

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In his new blog post for The Conversation, Dr Alex Zarifis considers Tesla selling car insurance and how it is going to have a major impact on most of our lives. “At the same time, insurance is a barrier to many innovations that Tesla is targeting for the future. With the insurance taken care of,Read more

Five things the UK General Election can teach us about Black Friday deals

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Politics and economics have much in common. For a couple of centuries these weighty subjects taught in many a fine University were and, in recent decades, are recognised as a single taught subject – Political Economy – but also share similarities in modelling human interaction and achievements. This a perfect time to highlight the similaritiesRead more

The underlying economics behind contests: The Conservatives leadership battle, Miss India, Eurovision, Brexit and Inequality

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From hit shows like Strictly Come Dancing to Miss India, the Conservative party leadership battle and the recent Eurovision extravaganza – contests teach us a lot about human behaviour, taste and the way markets operate. Tacky, fun or lifestyle enriching contests inform us about the interaction of the consumer (judge/voter) and the supplier/firm (contestant) lookingRead more

Does ASDA’s blocked merger with Sainsbury’s make sense?

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The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has put the brakes on ASDA and Sainsbury’s becoming the dominant force in supermarket retail. Dr Jon Seaton examines whether the argument against the deal is justified? A lot has been happening in retail recently, writes Dr Seaton, but consumers were understandably shocked by the decision of UK regulators inRead more

A warning to the Bank of England’s Mark Carney

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Economist Dr Jon Seaton has a warning for the Governor of the Bank of England Mark Carney… Dear Mr Carney – have you forgotten the Phillips curve? Recent employment rates now match the low levels of the early 1970s, so with very low interest rates, rising wage inflation and low productivity is it any wonderRead more

Brexit thoughts from Turkey

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Last week took me to Istanbul, working on a Newton Mobility Grant project with two of our former PhD students, Umut and Burcu Senalp. During the time that I was away, the Brexit crisis in Parliament really got going, which triggered a number of thoughts. First of all, the role of Turkey in the BrexitRead more

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