Phil O'Reilly

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A week is a long time in politics

The recent Budget raised the question: What should we be doing to grow the economy? Its focus on reducing government debt and spending was positive, most said, and essential for getting our finances on a firmer footing to head off future problems with overseas creditors and consequential interest rate rises. But beyond that, many felt it did not contain much direction for strategic change.


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The cruel dark side of the minimum wage

One of the tenets of economics is that an increase in the price of something causes less of it to be purchased. It’s a tenet that’s central to the minimum wage debate. The danger for those on the minimum wage is that they can be priced out of the market if the level of the minimum wage gets out of kilter with their level of productivity.