My Blog

A renewed focus on defence spending could turbocharge Britain’s scientific innovation
Germany, along with most of the rest of the EU, has finally woken up to the folly of relying on

As government debt jumps to fund defence spending, our economy will pay the price
Sanctions will clearly hit the Russian economy very hard. But economic prospects for the West are not exactly rosy. Twice

Subsidies to Wales have made devolution a begging bowl rather than a point of pride
Did you raise a toast yesterday to the staff of Gwynedd Council in North Wales? They were enjoying their very

A four day week must withstand the productivity test to be worth the gamble
Durham based challenger bank Atom has announced a four day working week for all of its 430 employees as more

Andrew Bailey fell asleep on inflation and now it is workers who will face the flames
Is there a comfortable chaise longue in the office of Andrew Bailey, Governor of the Bank of England? I think

State intervention can boost our economy but only the private sector can rebalance it
The government’s long awaited levelling up white paper was met with a lukewarm reception last week. One of the main

Uncertainty from our leaders is keeping our economic recovery wavering on the brink
In November last year, the UK’s total GDP output finally regained its pre-pandemic level. But although the economic recovery is

Virus modellers must admit their mistakes and learn from the practice of transparency
By now, we all know about the poor track record of prediction by the academic modelling teams advising the Scientific

Boris Johnson may be in political peril but his Covid-19 strategy was worth the risk
The last days have been of decisive importance in the life of this pandemic: the total number of Covid-19 cases

The mountain of debt cannot be ignored no matter how much the economy grows
Politicians and regulators are increasingly concerned about one phenomenon: buy-now-pay-later (BNPL). Nearly a year ago, the government agreed to regulate

Lending a hand: government loans to energy firms can’t be the final answer
Some of the media seem to have become addicted to gloom. Most outfits have become cautiously optimistic on Covid-19, but

Three Christmas presents for a Cabinet that lacks political grip
At this time of the year hapless members of the Cabinet, and even the Prime Minister himself, are entitled to

Precaution is a useful thing, but designing policy based on maybes is a dangerous road
It is is so familiar, the script almost writes itself. Health professionals start to call for more restrictive measures at

Schools across the country have forgotten how to teach kids to aspire to be better
Omicron, the new Covid variant, has had an unexpected victim: the long-awaited White Paper on levelling up. Boris Johnson’s plans

Unchallenged inflation will make strike action the norm in a new labour market
Last Friday, London once again muddled through the inconvenience of yet another Tube strike. Another one is planned for the

Think petrol panic buying was bad? Wait til you see what’s (not) in store this Christmas
It is that time of year again: ice skating, cold, clear blue skies, fairy lights decorating Oxford Street, and fears

New winter Covid restrictions would make it official policy to pray for a better day
A trip to the Scottish Highlands is always refreshing. Despite the shortening days, the hills were in perfect late autumn

Britons squeamish to spend their savings are jeopardising our economic recovery
The economic recovery is under threat. British consumers are saving and not spending. The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) estimates

The impasse on climate change is as clogged up as our petrol-packed roads
Boris Johnson is usually a superb communicator. But after the last few days of the G20 and Cop26, he is

In the end, the Swedes really did have the last laugh with a relaxed Covid approach
They never give up. The finger waggers who know what is good for the rest of us; the epidemiologists trying