Good Local Economics

It is easy to think about the housing crisis as if it were a single and relatively crude problem of just too few homes. In many ways this is readily understandable and easy to communicate, to paraphrase Bob Geldof, ‘just build the #!?$@*% homes!’ And at one level, this is true. However, the reality is much more complex and messier, making it easy for policy makers to focus on one dimension and offer a single solution.

George Osborne’s plans for business rates devolution have so far thrown up more questions than answers, says Kevin Muldoon-Smith

The chancellor’s announcement on business rate devolution at the Conservative Party Conference took many by surprise and has received considerable attention in the press over the last few weeks.