May 10, 2012

A real alternative to austerity economics

We should target nominal GDP to leave room for real growth but limitinflationary take-off

From LIFE & ARTS May 6, 2012

Free Market Fairness

John Tomasi’s attempt to reconcile the beliefs of libertarians and left liberals leaves too many questions unanswered

Apr 26, 2012

The BoE needs neither a bureaucrat nor a dictator

On present evidence I would award the palm to Mark Carney, governor of the Bank of Canada

Apr 12, 2012

The bogus distinction between left and right

The concept of a spectrum obscures more than it illuminates

Mar 22, 2012

Robbing selective Peter to pay for collective Paul

George Osborne should have cut the top rate of income tax all the way back to 40%

Mar 8, 2012

This time they really may be ‘green shoots’

It should not escape notice that Plan A has been substantially modified

From LIFE & ARTS Mar 4, 2012

The Bank of England’s real failings

Dan Conaghan’s ‘The Bank’ is a blow by blow account that charts the prevarications of the Bank of England’s response to the crisis but fails to question the ideas that drive policy

Feb 23, 2012

Tax England’s green and pleasant land

The case for a land tax is one of the oldest and least disputed propositions in economic thought

Feb 9, 2012

Why the world economy still splutters away

Ideas on economic stimulation and intervention

Jan 26, 2012

Diogenes was right to value more than happiness

Ordinary language loses its meaning if stretched to extreme situations

Jan 12, 2012

The market still has no rivals

‘My central case for the competitive capitalist system is that it promotes both personal and political freedom’

Dec 29, 2011

Now is the time to eat, drink and be merry

Do not feel guilty about indulging yourself amid all the austerity

Dec 15, 2011

‘More Europe’ is a mindless slogan

Blaming Brussels for what has happened is just a shorthand

Dec 1, 2011

A chancellor still wedded to wrong dogma

George Osborne sees public finances as akin to those of a corner shop

From LIFE & ARTS Nov 20, 2011

The Dictator’s Handbook

A reader-friendly look at dictatorships and imperfect democracies

Nov 18, 2011

Five simple steps to curing Britain’s new depression

Controversial estimates of the UK’s reduced capacity eventually become self-fulfilling

Nov 3, 2011

Why I would have voted no in a Greek referendum

It is adjustment that Greece needs, not financing

Oct 20, 2011

The splintered opposition to fiscal austerity

What the economy is short of is demand; and if that is too abstract to grasp, call it the flow of spending in the economy

Oct 6, 2011

Call off the misguided crusade against ‘inequality’

The issue of equality has become topical once again

Sep 22, 2011

Use the UK’s state bank holdings to speed a recovery

What we need is a Treasury directive to the three state-owned banks telling them to replace profit maximisation with a requirement to promote economic recovery

About Samuel

Samuel Brittan Samuel Brittan has been an economic commentator on the Financial Times since 1966. Prior to this he was economics editor of the Observer (1961-64) and an adviser at the Department of Economic Affairs (1965).

He has been awarded the George Orwell, Senior Harold Wincott and Ludwig Erhard prizes. He was a member of the Peacock Committee on the Finance of the BBC (1985-86). He was knighted in 1993 for “services to economic journalism” and also that year became a Chevalier de la Legion d’Honneur. His column appears on alternate Fridays.

E-mail Samuel Brittan

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