On 6 March the Wolfson Economics Prize posted the following notice on its policy exchange website: “Due to the sheer number of Prize entries, we will be publishing the shortlisted submissions later this month.”
The task set was submission of a plan for the painless death of the euro. (Precise wording: “The Wolfson Economics Prize will be awarded to the person who is able to articulate how best to manage the orderly exit of one or more member states from the European Monetary Union.”)
The prize on offer: a quarter of a million – sterling, of course. The judges are looking for an entry that will take into account the full legal, economic and political ramifications of their solutions. ■