Lighter readings

I write regularly for "The Conversation," trying to use research in economics to explain current events (and a bit of self-promotion).

1. Budget airlines make money from extra charges, but savvy travellers benefit too, The Conversation, 2024

2. Russia has become so economically isolated that China could order the end of war in Ukraine, The Conversation, 2024

3. Four tips to avoid being bamboozled by political statistics and data, The Conversation, 2024

4. What we know so far about Labour’s plan for Great British Energy, The Conversation, 2024

5. Liz Truss: an economist explains what she got wrong (and what she’s actually right about), The Conversation, 2024

6. Judas and the economics of betrayal , The Conversation, 2024

7. What Ireland’s smoking ban 20 years ago can teach us about big changes to human behaviour,  The Conversation, 2024

8. Europe’s tech industry is lagging behind the US – but it gives the continent a chance to write the rules of the game, The Conversation, 2024

9. Russia’s economy is now completely driven by the war in Ukraine – it cannot afford to lose, but nor can it afford to win, The Conversation, 2024

10. Curious Kids: how much money is there in the world?, The Conversation, 2024

11. Facebook’s new ad-free tier could end annoying consent pop-ups, but it could also put a price on your privacy, The Conversation, 2023

12. Amazon delivery drones: how the sky could be the limit for market dominance, The Conversation, 2023

13. US regulator is suing Amazon – here’s what this could mean for your online shopping, The Conversation, 2023

14. Western firms still doing business in Russia finance the war – here’s how to recoup the huge cost to taxpayers, The Conversation, 2023

15. The British Miracle Meat: how banning repugnant choices obscures the real issue of poverty, The Conversation, 2023

16. Tech giants forced to reveal AI secrets - Here how this could make life better for all, The Conversation, 2023

17. Economic growth doesn’t have to mean ‘more’ – consuming ‘better’ will also protect the planet, The Conversation, 2023

18. The ‘levelling up’ bidding process wastes time and money – here’s how to improve it , The Conversation, 2023

19. Why Meta’s share price collapse is good news for the future of social media, The Conversation, 2022

20. Fracking: the simple test for whether it should happen in the UK, The Conversation, 2022.

21. UK energy crisis: why rationing is likely to happen this winter, whether Liz Truss likes it or not, The Conversation 2022.

22. Energy crisis: why French households are largely protected from soaring costs while British families struggle, The Conversation 2022.

23.  Tech firms face more regulation after moves to stop ‘killer’ acquisitions – but innovation could also be under threat, The Conversation 2022.

24. New USB-C charger rule shows how EU regulators make decisions for the world, The Conversation 2022.

25. Five things that economists know, but sound wrong to most other people, The Conversation 2022.

26. CE or UKCA? The cost of taking back control of our own product regulations, LSE British Politics and Society blog 2022.

27. The cost of war: how Russia’s economy will struggle to pay the price of invading Ukraine, The Conversation 2022. (also in French and in Spanish)

28. Facebook: latest court case shows how Europe is clamping down on big tech, The Conversation, 2021. (also in Indonesian)

29. Google loses appeal against €2.4 billion fine: tech giants might now have to re-think their entire business models , The Conversation, 2021

30. The handling of the Owen Paterson case is a danger to the entire fabric of British politics, The Conversation, 2021

31. Coronavirus: how to make the three-tier lockdown work, The Conversation, 2020 (also in French)

32. UK trade negotiations: to strike better deals, hand a veto to nations and regions, The Conversation, 2020

33.  Streamed music and digital images have driven the comeback of vinyl and printed photos, The Conversation, 2019

I also like to contribute to other media, mostly talking about England in French, France in English, and public policy everywhere. Some examples in no particular order below.

TV: CNBC, BBC, ITV, Channel 4, France 24, Sky Arabia, Testigo Directo (Colombia), WiON (India), CGTN (China), TRT (Turkey) 

Radio/Podcast: Radio Classique, RMC-BFM (France), Voice of America , The Bunker podcast

Other quotes and republications: CNN, Business Insider, Journal du Dimanche, L'Opinion, The Express, Daily Mail, The New European, Slate, RFI (France), Ouest France, RPP noticias (Peru), Fast Company, CapX, The Week (UK), La Libre Belgique, Le Soir (Belgium), Expresso (Portugal), The Quint, Rural Voice (India), Novaya Gazeta (exiled from Russia)