Alex Singleton

The developed economies of today have protected their economies at various times, but that does not account for their development. There are plenty of examples of worse economic performance resulting from protectionism, notably in the interwar years. Many scholars, like Ha Joon Chang, have used the examples of Britain before the 1840s, the US and […]

I was on Britain’s ITV News Channel today talking about the challenges facing the participants of the forthcoming G8 Summit in Scotland. For me, the biggest challenge is to get trade back on the agenda, rather than placing the emphasis on aid. Many of the Africans I speak to find it odd - and insulting […]

The Scotsman’s Fraser Nelson has a typically intelligent article in today’s issue comparing Britain’s vision to improve Africa with its actions in promoting good governance in the 19th century:
Our empire started off as a device for exploration and plunder, expropriating the natural resources of colonies and growing rich quick. But midway through the 19th century, […]

From strategypage.com:
A recent “Opinion Survey of the Arab Street 2005″ by Al Arabiya news network provides some interesting answers. The survey sought to see what Arabs thought about the relative lack of economic progress in the Arab world. In answer to the question, “What is stalling development in the Arab world?,” 81 percent chose […]

The Times says that “Saving Africa will take humility, not grandstanding”, referring to the Live 8 concerts planned by Bob Geldof:
The line-up is astounding. While Bob Geldof generates headlines with his Live 8 concerts next month, Tony Blair will bring leaders of the G8 industrialised countries to Gleneagles to discuss African poverty. Geldof’s Live Aid […]

A YouGov poll in today’s London Daily Telegraph says that 83% of Brits are not confident that extra foreign aid would be spent wisely. 79 per cent of voters believe that corruption and incompetence were to blame for Africa’s problems.
The public’s lack of faith in Africa’s ability to cure its own ills was also revealed […]

On the television today (BBC World), I discussed UK finance minister Gordon Brown’s latest announcements on helping Africa, calling for a modern-day Marshall Plan. I was critical of his call for huge increases in aid, pointing out that between 1960 and 1997, Africa received the equivalent of six Marshall Plans of foreign aid. I was also […]

Foreign direct investment (FDI) by American companies increased by 90% in 2004 a new study by Deloitte Research has said. The report says that China will to become the primary overseas destination for US investment in the next three years. “Meanwhile,” according to CFO.com, “foreign direct investment in the United States rose for the second […]