In defence of Ruth Davidson, Andy Street and the Tory ‘wets’ Opinion The right has no path to victory without also winning back voters who defected from the Conservatives to the Liberal Democrats in 2024. Recent Tory defections to Reform have made that job easier for Kemi Badenoch, says Alys Denby Wet Wet Wet is the name of the musical outfit behind “Love is All Around”, which [...]
We will all pay the price for Starmer’s weakness on welfare Opinion Keir Starmer is a weak Prime Minister and parliament has proved it can’t condone any reduction in public spending. This will end very badly, says Simon Clarke The collapse of Labour’s plans for welfare reform marks the end of its first year in government – and perhaps the end of any kind of serious reforming [...]
We’ve been building since 1886 – the planning system is the worst it’s ever been Opinion Delays in the UK planning system – down to brick colour and tile choices – are stalling housing delivery. We need 3,000 new planners and faster approvals to meet national housing goals and boost economic growth, says Tim Roberts When Britain is in the midst of a housing crisis you don’t, as a house builder, [...]
Disastrous school reform agenda is a solution in search of a problem January 9, 2025 A long time ago I got involved in a battle to help a school leave council control and become an academy. This was shortly after Michael Gove, as education secretary, continued the reforming efforts of his Labour predecessors to inject more choice and freedom into the state education sector. The local council, faced with losing [...]
Green light for redevelopment of London South Bank’s ‘The Slab’ December 20, 2024 The High Court ruled in favour of former Secretary of State Michael Gove's approval of the redevelopment of London’s South Bank
South Bank’s ‘The Slab’ in spotlight as campaigners fight planning decision October 16, 2024 South Bank 'The Slab' is the topic of a legal battle at court this week as campaigners seek to overturn the former government's decision to green-light redevelopment
‘Challenging policy’: What the pushback to private school VAT plans reveals October 8, 2024 VAT… easy as ABC? It may not quite be Blair’s ‘education, education, education’ mantra, or Michael Gove’s multi-academy trusts. But for Sir Keir ‘my-father-was-a-toolmaker’ Starmer, there’s been one education policy that’s been front and centre of his manifesto and the first 100 days. This is, of course, the plan to impose VAT on private school [...]
Michael Gove to become new Spectator editor following sale September 25, 2024 Former Tory Cabinet minister Michael Gove is poised to become the new editor of The Spectator, pending approval from the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (ACOBA). If greenlit, Gove will succeed long-time editor Fraser Nelson, who will retire after a 15-year tenure. The move comes after Old Queen Street (OQS) Media, owned by British entrepreneur [...]
Private school VAT furore shows just how much help our state schools need June 27, 2024 VAT on private schools has been slated as a "tax on aspiration" - but why don't we focus on making state education aspirational?
Build, Baby, Build: You don’t solve a supply crisis by juicing demand June 18, 2024 Both parties are making big promises on housebuilding, but the policies being put forward are nothing new at best and actively harmful at worst, says Henry Hill This election is an important milestone in this country’s long-running housing crisis, because it is probably the first one in which both major parties have formally acknowledged that [...]