How can we be talking at the same time about shrinking public spending on core services while propping up the banks? FOR FULL TEXT SEE MY LATEST COLUMN FOR PUBLIC FINANCE.

A very well-balanced and interesting BBC programme and article by journalist Michael Blastland on the UK experience with performance targets, especially in the NHS. Well worth a read/listen.

Professor Joseph S. Nye (Harvard) spoke this morning at the Maxwell School (Syracuse), where I am currently a guest. Nye is famous for coining the phrases ‘soft power’ and ‘smart power’ – both of which have slipped into the political lexicon.

I am in the USA for two weeks, and am amazed by the vitriol of the political debate. We get only mild echoes in the UK of just how polarised American politics has become and how much rage appears to be about. CNN is even running a series next week entitled “Mad as Hell” about […]

At last Gordon Brown has uttered the “c” word – cuts. Although everyone knows that some level of cutback in public spending is going to be necessary, all attention has focused on the “will he, won’t he” question of whether the Prime Minister would use the ‘cuts’ word.

Geoff Hodgson, a leading light it what some have called “post-autistic economics”, has launched a petition calling for a reorientation of the profession.

As the holiday season draws to a close and the political conference season approaches the almost overwhelming consensus amongst the political class and media is that Britain is facing a public finance crisis of staggering proportions.

A couple of days ago we asked the Phi100 Panel of Westminster ‘insiders’, which includes, leading politicians, policy, and media figures, about realistic targets for reducing the UK’s burgeoning public debt.

I am currently on holiday then finishing off a book over August so posts will be restricted until September (don’t all cheer at once)..

The latest scandal to hit British politics is the widespread alleged wire(less) tapping of phones by News International (Rupert Murdoch’s) News of the World (NoW). The political dimension is focused on the Tories – their Communication supremo Andy Coulson is the former Editor of the NoW who resigned over – the same allegations.