“The bounty to the white-herring fishery is a tonnage bounty; and is proportioned to the burden of the ship, not to her diligence or success in the fishery; and it has, I am afraid, been too common for vessels to fit out for the sole purpose of catching, not the fish, but the bounty.”

The first chart is what government spends - largely and roughly and good enough. The second - largely, good enough etc - is that spending plus the varied redistributions of income performed.

Once upon a time, the concept of the “public good” carried a noble meaning. German philosopher Immanuel Kant further developed the original conception of a public good, building upon the ideas of Plato and Aristotle. 

The mercantilism that Adam Smith denounced in the Wealth of Nations seems to be having another ascendency.

This is something that all too many - sadly including all too many who rule us - fail to grasp.

Sweden seems to do many things better than the UK does.

A continual complaint of ours is that when government does something wrong, makes a mistake - and my, how unusual is that? - the reaction just never is to reverse the mistake.

The problem always comes down to what is the definition of misinformation?s

During his life, Thomas Paine’s influence was felt on both sides of the Atlantic.

Everyone else looks at the mid-1970s and decides that no, we’d not like to have us some of that.

A significant reduction in public expenditure to limit the scope of government.

Unemployed people on sickness benefits will soon receive £2,500 more a year than a minimum wage worker, figures have revealed.