My Blog
If you can build a football team, you can advance the fortunes of poor nations
In Qatar, there has been a storm over its treatment of women, the LGBT community, and other minorities. But it
In low income parts of the UK, boosting productivity is a question of competition
Productivity is a puzzle with many different layers. When it becomes a mainstay in political speeches, it is rarely for
Housing Associations have no accountability and a 2-year-old has paid the price
The tragic death of Awaab Ishak, the two-year-old killed by exposure to mould, has been described in detail over the
Everyone wants a pay rise, but we will have to pay with cuts to jobs or services
The nation seems to be in the grip of an epidemic of cognitive dissonance. Where is Matt Hancock when we
Sunak’s flexibility has been curtailed by our undue reverence for the Bank of England
Rishi Sunak will deliver an updated Autumn Statement next week, after Liz Truss’ so-called “mini-budget” triggered her demise. His freedom
Not all is doom and gloom: a recession is not the only possible scenario facing Britain
The prime minister and the Chancellor are struggling to “balance the books”. Around £50bn might be needed from a combination
It’s time to go back to basics and go about fixing our deficit before more tax cuts
As inflation pushes prices further and further up, food has been getting more expensive for some time. But, as the
Our public services will keep falling apart as long as our economy continues to stagnate
History is full of examples of the right set of policies being introduced at the wrong time. A dramatic example
An information campaign on energy usage would have made a lot of economic sense
The prime minister’s apparent veto of a plan to persuade people to use less energy this winter has stirred up
Our politicians must wake up to the public debt effect
In a novel by C.P. Snow, a physicist turned author who served as science minister under Harold Wilson in the
Low tax regimes only matter as much as their longevity
The tax breaks will, we were told, include 100 per cent relief from business rates on newly occupied business premises,
We’re hardwired to accept bumper salaries for sports stars but not our City bankers
In a bid to prove her free market credentials – and those of her chancellor – Liz Truss has widely
Strikes are a part of the bargaining process but many current jobs are on their way out
Orgreave in South Yorkshire holds a special place in the memory of the British trade union movement. It was there
How Truss pays for her plan for energy prices is just as important as what she does
Our new prime minister already has a long list of detractors. Yet something many are failing to take notice of
Our scientists were given responsibility in the pandemic but no public accountability
Last week, Rishi Sunak rehashed old wounds and stirred up more controversy over lockdowns during the height of the pandemic.
Spiralling energy prices are a powerful lesson for our future plans for green power
For most politicians and commentators, green taxes are firmly established as an unequivocally Good Thing. True, Liz Truss has called
Britain’s waistline won’t be slimmed by sugar taxes – they could even make it worse
Britain has an obesity problem – and it’s getting worse. According to a report from the King’s Fund think tank,
As we look back on pandemic mistakes, we need to count livelihoods in our losses
Ministers don’t need to face the inquiry into the Covid-19 pandemic until next spring, the chair of the probe, Heather
It’s hot, sure but we don’t need the health bureaucrats to tell us to open the windows
Phew, What A Scorcha! No, not a tabloid headline from this week, but from 1976. As many have pointed out
Politicians and voters must learn that every policy has a cost and an impact on growth
The runners and riders battling for leadership of the Conservative Party are setting out their stalls. Tax, lockdown, defence and
