The UK escaped a liquidity trap in the 1930s and enjoyed a strong economic recovery. This column by Economics Professor Nicholas Crafts argues that what drove this recovery was ‘unconventional’ monetary policy implemented not by the Bank of England but by the Treasury. Thus, Neville Chamberlain was an early proponent of ‘Abenomics’. This raises the question: is inflation targeting by an independent central bank appropriate at a time of very low nominal-interest rates?

Guest blog on The Victorian Commons by the Department of History's Dr Sarah Richardson.

This question appears straightforward. Many would point to the Representation of the People Act in 1918 which extended the parliamentary franchise to women over 30 years of age. Others may cite the Municipal Franchise Act of 1869 which enabled female ratepayers to vote for local municipal councils (although a court case in 1872 restricted this right to single or widowed women). In fact, women had the right to vote and to hold office in a range of local and parish institutions from their foundation...

Professor of Economics Mark Harrison asks whether rational pessimism will lead us into another world war.

What happened in Vegas should have stayed there, but somehow it was allowed out and got away - Professor Mark Harrison from the Department of Economics explains why.

As we approach the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Midway, Professor of Economics Mark Harrison explains how and why the Second World War began to turn in Allied favour in June 1942.