Martin Sandbu

Equal parts absurd and outrageous.

@martinsandbu.ft.com is spot on: unanimity defangs EU sanctions policy. "Some member states fear that their vital interests would be damaged by majority rulemaking. But in a world suddenly more filled with adversaries and enemies, going it alone is to accept being divided and ruled by others."

Good question.

We have forgotten what budgets are for. as.ft.com/r/99bf6735-f...

A big new story from us: a big new leak means that we can put numbers on the scale of A7 -- the Kremlin's huge money-laundering machine. $6.9bn laundered through the international banking system via SWIFT, with $1.1bn sent to StanChart alone. www.ft.com/content/3848...

Sorry Mark Carney, the world *does* need a rival great power with better manners as.ft.com/r/c591526a-3...

What would you ask the editor of the Financial Times over lunch? Here's your chance to do just that: Bid for lunch with @roulak.bsky.social at The Ritz in London and all proceeds go to FT FLIC, the FT-backed financial literacy charity Read all about it and bid at ft.com/auction

The trade wars were just a warm-up. Brace for the coming capital wars. as.ft.com/r/d9f246c1-d...

maybe they'll make all passengers check if they fit through a window-sized gap like the bag thing

Hark how I’ll bribe you.

The trade wars were just a warm-up. Brace for the coming capital wars. as.ft.com/r/d9f246c1-d...

A must read from @martinsandbu.ft.com on the coming capital wars www.ft.com/content/735f...

90 years ago, Parliament responded to the rise of Oswald Mosley's Blackshirts by passing the Public Order Act, which banned political uniforms, private militias and the threat of force for political objects. The debates make very resonant reading today. Here's the Liberal Robert Bernays. (Short 🧵)

@martinsandbu.ft.com: "to the extent that both public and private sectors adopt AI to guide decision-making — how much to invest; in what; how best to tax for desired policy outcomes? — our economies will look increasingly planned and decreasingly market-shaped" www.ft.com/content/cd3f...

Could AI replace the market economy? Really interesting thought experiment from @martinsandbu.ft.com www.ft.com/content/cd3f...

"The Hayekian conclusion always remained contingent — and only true so long as governments lacked the necessary informational and computational capacity for central planning to outdo free markets. The question is whether AI changes that," writes @martinsandbu.ft.com. www.ft.com/content/cd3f...

Feel good about yourself: Your summer holiday was a profoundly humanist act. as.ft.com/r/b9065953-4...

These charts need to be drawn for imports/exports from/to all countries, not just JP/SK/CH.

This is a fantastic piece by @martinsandbu.ft.com which should be required reading for Burnham/Healey/their advisers. [Don't necessarily agree with all of it, but it makes you think about the UK's economic predicament in a different way.]

My latest piece, on why a conventional misunderstanding of the economy risks leaving the Burnham government in the same sorry place as Starmer's.

My latest piece, on why a conventional misunderstanding of the economy risks leaving the Burnham government in the same sorry place as Starmer's.

Long live Europe. Literally.

Sent an email to 9 Europeans and immediately received 6 automated vacation replies. 🫠

Agree with this from @martinsandbu.ft.com & highly recommend his book, 'The Economics of Belonging', fleshing out the type of economic transition needed. However, it's possible Burnham's policies are merely symbolic at this stage to buy the political capital to 'go big'. www.ft.com/content/94a7...

Will Burnham go big or go home? ft.trib.al/DZdeGG1 | opinion

A betting account in the name of George Cottrell, the convicted fraudster who bankrolled Nigel Farage, received almost $9mn in cryptocurrency from unidentified sources while he was providing gifts to the Reform UK leader great work from @annasophiegross.bsky.social www.ft.com/content/b74c...

The sacking of popular, modernising defence minister Mykahilo Fedorov exposed damaging divisions about Ukraine’s military strategy and armed forces’ willingness to address its shortcomings just as momentum in the war against Russia has swung in its favor. My report: www.ft.com/content/a200...

There can be no forgiveness. 12 years ago, on July 17, 2014, the russians shot down Flight #MH17, killing 298 people, incl. 80 children. The perpetrators, sentenced to life in prison, remain under Moscow’s protection. Fact: russia has murdered hundreds of thousands of civilians. It must be smashed.

Ukraine has used a naval drone to transport a ground drone to attack Russia. www.businessinsider.com/ukraine-laun...

It's coming! www.ft.com/content/0a08...

Good ideas about complementing the EU’s finances by @martinsandbu.ft.com But depressing bottomline: member states cannot escape the traditional political economy of budget talks and have already dug themselves deep into the usual trenches for net payers and net recipients” www.ft.com/content/127f...

The rather inconvenient facts around Europe's "China shock"... to be taken alongside the need to engage with the world's trade superpowers in the future. Though I'd suggest this is also why Member States push back against the worst rhetoric and protectionist ideas. www.ft.com/content/5817...

The EU has ways out of its budget trap www.ft.com/content/127f... By @martinsandbu.ft.com Side agreements and special purpose funds could bypass the usual trench warfare A.Úbide: "The budget is a clear political statement that Europe does not want to compete with China or the United States.”

@martinsandbu.ft.com: "If this budget proves irrelevant for Europe’s new challenges, alternative financial arrangements will be sought to do the job. We know this from experience" www.ft.com/content/127f...

excellent analysis of Europe’s budget discussions - supporting joint borrowing and issuance of an EU safe asset, by @martinsandbu.ft.com take note: @volteuropa.org @ecb.europa.eu @ec.europa.eu @vonderleyen.ec.europa.eu giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/... The EU has ways out of its budget trap

Early morning press conference at the Whitehouse.

This World Cup has well and truly delivered.

BOFIT Weekly Review 27/2026 Russia faces increasing challenges in balancing its economic policies Read more 🔗 bofit.fi/en/monitorin... #Russia #economy #BOFITWeeklyReview

We noticed, thanks.

But noooo, regulation holds back growth!

Pre-Brexit referendum: a British PM surprises by keeping a multi-party coalition together Post-Brexit referendum: successive British PMs fail to keep their own single-party coalitions together

A lot of people don't realise this but in the UK we have to replace our Prime Minister every two or three years or else the rights revert back to Marvel