Lottie Dexter: Childcare is the issue to crack if more single mums are to work

Roughly a third of all single mums are on Jobseeker’s Allowance or Income Support.

The British economy defies explanation – but that’s no excuse for not doing the right thing

The economists got it wrong over and over again – on growth, on exports, on employment and on inflation

Rustbelt Britain: It’s political power that’s in the wrong place not our failing cities

There was a time when intellectuals were impressed with the idea of historical determinism. These days… it’s geographical determinism that’s all the rage.

The rule of law is important, but trust is the true foundation of a free society

Without trust, the everyday process of economic life would be enormously more expensive, time-consuming and unpleasant

The disgrace of Britain’s education system

“England is the only country in the developed world where 55- to 65-year-olds are more literate and numerate than 16- to 24-year-olds”

The Conservative Party needs a new economic theory

The British economy is a rich source of inconvenient truths for both sides in the economic debate

Why is Singapore richer than America? A good question with an interesting answer

Of the eight biggest English cities outside London, seven of them do worse than the national average across a range of economic indicators

If Labour wins the next election they’ll soon wish they hadn’t

Sharing the proceeds of growth is no longer an option. Growth may be back, but the proceeds were spent years ago.

Heresy of the week: Once we eliminate the deficit we should not pay back our national debt

The inspiration for a sovereign wealth fund comes from Norway, which “is probably the world’s biggest sovereign wealth fund”

The modern economy in three acts: The Great Moderation, the Great Recession and the Great Detox

If we’re truly kicking our addiction to easy credit – and the associated habits of speculation – then the Great Detoxification of the economy may be at hand.

The German economic model is a poor alternative to Anglo-Saxon capitalism

The financial crisis of 2008 was too frightening for any sane person to enjoy, but for the centre-left there was… Read more »

Heresy of the week: The case for abolishing patents

If there’s one thing that unites the right, it’s respect for property. This includes intellectual property, which modern societies defend… Read more »

Our banks behave like a bunch of toddlers – but the naughty step of regulation won’t restore order

In terms of their willingness to lend, the banks have gone from one extreme to the other. For Tim Harford… Read more »

How quantitative easing in the West screws up the rest of the world

With Syria and Egypt dominating the headlines, an international crisis of a different kind is going largely unnoticed. In countries… Read more »

Good news! Healthcare costs are bankrupting us at a slower rate than ever before!

The decision to ring-fence the NHS budget is taken by some on the right as evidence that the Government is… Read more »