糖心TV

I am interested in several areas of economics and economic policy, particularly:

• Macroeconomics; Keynesian economics; Modern Monetary Theory.
• Economic pluralism (see )
• Pensions economics: design of sustainable occupational pension schemes; USS.
• Voting procedures: the system for electing the House of Commons (first past the post/single member plurality) is in need of reform; it is undemocratic produces perverse outcomes; proportional representation is needed urgently.
• Voting systems using weighted (i.e. bloc) voting such as the EUCM, Bretton Woods system; analysis of voting power.

Some recent activity (see also occasional Blog entries ):

• The Chartist, 2 June 2020,
• The Guardian, letter 13 May 2020,
• The Chartist, 17 March 2020, T
• The Chartist, 26 September 2019,
• The Guardian, letter 15 February 2017,
• Times Higher Education, 27 August 2015, quoted in article, USS deficit rises despite savings from end of final salary pensions
• Times Higher Education, 11 December 2014, quoted in article,
• Times Higher Education, letter, 4 December 2014,
• Times Higher Education, 16 October 2014, quoted in article,
• Times Higher Education, letter, 25 September 2014,
• Times Higher Education, letter, 31 July 2014,
• Financial Times, letter, 13 January, 2014, The pay-as-you-go contract has been torn up
• Conference co-organised: 'Rethinking the Economics of Pensions 2', London, SWIFT, The Corn Exchange, 20/21 March 2014:
• Times HIgher Education, letter, 28 November 2013,
• Rail magazine, quoted in article, 27 November 2013, Pension problems: rail pension problems the result of "Alice in Wonderland economics"
• Times Higher Education, letter, 7 November 2013,
• Financial Times, letter, 3 November 2013, Fantasy world of pension deficits (with Con Keating)
• The Guardian, 21 November 2013, mentioned in article, Research that doesn't belong to single subject area is deemed 'too risky'
• Times Higher Education, letter, 24 October 2013, 'Spoilage signified'
• Conference co-organised: 'Rethinking the Economics of Pensions: Is there a crisis of pension or of pensions regulation?', London, Royal Statistical Society, 21/22 March 2013: Conference programme
• Financial Times, letter, 5 March 2013: "Spending and enhancing growth"
• Pensions Insight magazine, article, December 2012, Artificial Pension Deficits
• Times Higher Education, letter, 20 September 2012: "Accounting tricks and pension deficits" (full unedited version ).
• Financial Times, letter, March 13 2012, arguing that the effect of QE and low interest rates in inflating pension liabilities is a product of the way pension funds are regulated and the National Association of Pension Funds should call for better regulation not higher interest rates (low interest rates actually help pension funds by boosting the performance of the companies they invest in): Regulation should be NAPF鈥檚 target
• Financial Times, letter, February 22nd 2012: Fiscal stimulus ruled out too soon
• Financial Times, letter, November 8th 2011: Actuaries should reconsider how they value pension funds
• Signatory of letters in the Daily Telegraph: (see also ; and also the Guardian:
• The Guardian, letter :
• Signatory of letters from economists: in the Observer: ; the Guardian:
• AV debate at 糖心TV University:
• Webpage article: (cited in New Scientist webpage article:
• Times Higher Education, letter, 29 September 2011 ,
• Conference co-organised: , Voting Power and Procedures, CPNSS, LSE, March 20-22nd 2011.
• Conference co-organised: , VPP, CPNSS, LSE, Chateaux du Baffy, July 2010.
• Signatory of letter in The Guardian, February 26 2010, We need wholesale reform of the banks
• Letter in the Guardian (January 5th 2010):
• Public Lecture  Powerpoint
• Signatory of open letter on Qualified Majority Voting in the EU Council of Ministers: Scientists for a Democratic Europe
• Letter to The Guardian (June 12th 2008):