Simon Wren-Lewis
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sjwrenlewis.bsky.social
Simon Wren-Lewis
@sjwrenlewis.bsky.social
8.3K followers 150 following 900 posts

Emeritus Professor of Economics, Oxford University.

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Simon Wren-Lewis is a British economist. He is a professor of economic policy at the Blavatnik School of Government at Oxford University and a Fellow of Merton College.

Source: Wikipedia
Economics 95%
Political science 5%
Posts Replies Media Videos

Reposted by Simon Wren‐Lewis, Pauline Stafford

polprofsteve2024.bsky.social
Steven Fielding @polprofsteve2024.bsky.social · 1d
Since becoming leader Starmer has prioritised winning back ‘hero voters’ - & completely failed. Lab won in 2024 despite that busted strategy & we can see the results of persisting with it. Luke et al are more of a danger to Lab than Corbyn ever was. magazine.newstatesman.com/2026/01/09/o...
Only Reform voters can save Labour
A progressive coalition simply doesn’t have the vote share
magazine.newstatesman.com

Reposted by Daniela Gabor, Will Jennings, Steve Peers , and 8 more

jdportes.bsky.social
Jonathan Portes @jdportes.bsky.social · 1d
The immigration doom loop in full swing.

Chasing the xenophobes is a doomed strategy both economically *and* politically.

(1/3)

archive.ph/pyVLg

Reposted by Simon Wren‐Lewis

Reposted by Simon Wren‐Lewis, Anand Menon

simonusherwood.bsky.social
Simon Usherwood @simonusherwood.bsky.social · 2d
Nice use of the word 'batshit' by @anandmenon.bsky.social here, pointing to fundamental problem of British European policy: it baselines off British politics, without taking account of EU position

www.politico.eu/article/meet...

Reposted by Simon Wren‐Lewis

Reposted by Simon Wren‐Lewis

sjwrenlewis.bsky.social
Simon Wren-Lewis @sjwrenlewis.bsky.social · 3d
This week's post: What kind of crisis would a bursting AI bubble become? mainlymacro.blogspot.com/2026/01/what...
It seems worrying that at a time of greater financial uncertainty, policymakers in the US and UK are reducing safeguards within the financial system.
What kind of crisis would a bursting AI bubble become?
In this post I’m not going to speculate about whether the current boom in AI infrastructure (mainly data centres, mainly in the US) is a b...
mainlymacro.blogspot.com

Reposted by Ben H. Ansell, Dorothy Bishop, Will Jennings , and 7 more

robertsaunders.bsky.social
Robert Saunders @robertsaunders.bsky.social · 3d
I understand the pressures on the BBC, but Radio 4's coverage of the Minneapolis shooting is an example of "bad balance".

It's all "the Trump regime says she was a terrorist, but Democrats say it was murder".

The BBC has the footage. It doesn't have to treat truth and falsehood as equally valid.

sjwrenlewis.bsky.social
Simon Wren-Lewis @sjwrenlewis.bsky.social · 4d
Y'days post: What kind of crisis would a bursting AI bubble become? mainlymacro.blogspot.com/2026/01/what...
If the bubble bursting hits aggregate demand, then policymakers can replace that demand using monetary and fiscal policy, as long as policymakers are prepared to use these instruments.
What kind of crisis would a bursting AI bubble become?
In this post I’m not going to speculate about whether the current boom in AI infrastructure (mainly data centres, mainly in the US) is a b...
mainlymacro.blogspot.com

sjwrenlewis.bsky.social
Simon Wren-Lewis @sjwrenlewis.bsky.social · 4d
Good point, but the demand recession I have in mind goes beyond just less AI investment. Even if it was just less AI investment, and the economy is in recession if you exclude this investment, then, there is spare capacity in the rest of the economy.

sjwrenlewis.bsky.social
Simon Wren-Lewis @sjwrenlewis.bsky.social · 4d
Thanks

sjwrenlewis.bsky.social
Simon Wren-Lewis @sjwrenlewis.bsky.social · 5d
Thanks for your comment. As my post says, this is indeed one possible outcome. At present I just do not know enough to judge whether default on some AI borrowing would be enough to break the financial sector's shock absorbers.

sjwrenlewis.bsky.social
Simon Wren-Lewis @sjwrenlewis.bsky.social · 5d
Compared to now, a AI bust would mean lots of savings not going into lending to AI companies or stocks. Where do you think that money will go instead? The answer is to something safer, i.e. government debt. Inflation is caused by excessive aggregate demand but not be creating money in a recession.

Reposted by Kori Schake, Christian Odendahl, Will Jennings , and 4 more

nvondarza.bsky.social
Nicolai von Ondarza @nvondarza.bsky.social · 5d
Joint Statement of major EU/NATO countries on Greenland, together with Denmark:

sjwrenlewis.bsky.social
Simon Wren-Lewis @sjwrenlewis.bsky.social · 5d
Of course this means higher taxes for given services. The issue iis about the political will of working taxpayers. Pay as you go pensions always come under stress when the population shrinks for this reason, unless the retirement ages rises to compensate.

sjwrenlewis.bsky.social
Simon Wren-Lewis @sjwrenlewis.bsky.social · 5d
In a demand induced recession people save more and consume less, so the capacity is there. Don't understand about the risks of inflation.

sjwrenlewis.bsky.social
Simon Wren-Lewis @sjwrenlewis.bsky.social · 5d
New post: What kind of crisis would a bursting AI bubble become?
mainlymacro.blogspot.com/2026/01/what...
If the bubble bursting hits aggregate demand, then policymakers can replace that demand using monetary and fiscal policy, as long as policymakers are prepared to use these instruments.
What kind of crisis would a bursting AI bubble become?
In this post I’m not going to speculate about whether the current boom in AI infrastructure (mainly data centres, mainly in the US) is a b...
mainlymacro.blogspot.com

Reposted by Will Jennings, Patrick Dunleavy, Mike Brewer , and 10 more

timbale.bsky.social
Tim Bale @timbale.bsky.social · 5d
I'm afraid there *is* an obvious answer: it can't.

Reposted by Simon Wren‐Lewis

Reposted by Richard S.J. Tol, Steve Peers, Markus Jäntti , and 5 more

peterstefanovic.bsky.social
Peter Stefanovic @peterstefanovic.bsky.social · 6d
Jeez. Greenland is in the NATO alliance. How hard can this be?

Reposted by Anne Applebaum, Jan W. Mueller, Elizabeth Saunders , and 32 more

ericumansky.bsky.social
Eric Umansky @ericumansky.bsky.social · 6d
WH sources say Venezuela's opposition leader committed the "ultimate sin": She accepted the Nobel Peace prize.

“If she had turned it down and said, ‘I can’t accept it because it’s Donald Trump’s,’ she’d be the president of Venezuela today,” one said.

www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
Although Machado ultimately said she was dedicating the award to Trump, her acceptance of the prize was an “ultimate sin,” said one of the people. “If she had turned it down and said, ‘I can’t accept it because it’s Donald Trump’s,’ she’d be the president of Venezuela today,” this person said.

Reposted by Will Jennings, Rosemary A. Joyce, Simon Wren‐Lewis , and 7 more

paleofuture.bsky.social
Matt Novak @paleofuture.bsky.social · 7d
These freaks want territorial expansion and they know Trump will do everything he can to deliver.

This isn’t just a tweet from some random asshole either. This is Stephen Miller’s wife. Miller was in the room with Trump during the kidnapping of Maduro.
Katie Miller tweet with text that reads “SOON” and a map of Greenland with an American flag overlayed

Reposted by Simon Wren‐Lewis

Reposted by Simon Wren‐Lewis

Reposted by Simon Wren‐Lewis, Aaron Sojourner

jdportes.bsky.social
Jonathan Portes @jdportes.bsky.social · 11d
"Immigrant Derangement Syndrome is a top-down phenomenon, not a broad popular movement. It reflects the perverse obsessions of MAGAdom, with racism a key component.'

To state the obvious, this analysis by @pkrugman.bsky.social also largely applies in the UK/Europe.

substack.com/home/post/p-...
Immigrant Derangement Syndrome
Blaming brown-skinned people for everything bad
substack.com

Reposted by Steve Peers, Simon Wren‐Lewis

alanbeattie.bsky.social
Alan Beattie @alanbeattie.bsky.social · 11d
From this vg piece on Starmer's popularity, a depressing example of Westminster insularity. There were 7 German chancellors (8 counting an acting one) in the 42 years before the iPhone & only three since. Ditto only 3 Spanish PMs since 2004. Look across the Channel lads.

www.ft.com/content/1995...

Reposted by Will Jennings, Scott L. Greer, Steve Peers , and 4 more

jdportes.bsky.social
Jonathan Portes @jdportes.bsky.social · 11d
Think @sundersays.bsky.social is accurate here.

The UK has not suddenly become much more racist.

However the (re)normalisation of open racism by "respectable" right-wing media and politicians has led to both increased visibility for open racists, & radicalisation of some "soft" racists/xenophobes
sundersays.bsky.social Sunder Katwala (sundersays) @sundersays.bsky.social · 11d
Longterm intergenerational shift is a civic widening of inclusion. The short-term shift is hardening views within the minority position
bsky.app/profile/prof...
profjohndrury.bsky.social John Drury @profjohndrury.bsky.social · 11d
Today's opinion poll news in context. The longer term trend has been away from ethno-nationalism.

Source:
Butt S, Clery E, Curtice J, editors (2022). British Social Attitudes: The 39th Report. National Centre for Social Research.