Technology is increasing inequality – and it’s nothing to do with artificial intelligence or robots March 23, 2016 Inequality is one of the major political topics of our times. Rather like a Shakespearean tragedy, the current splits in the high command of the Conservative Party have many themes. But an important one, and the ostensible reason for Iain Duncan Smith’s resignation, is the treatment of the working poor, a concept which until fairly recently [...]
As Ed Miliband weighs in, will his criticism of Leavers as wanting a “free market” Britain do more harm than good for Remain? March 23, 2016 Diego Zuluaga, who works for the Institute of Economic Affairs and European think tank EpiCenter, says Yes. The EU has done the most good when it has promoted open markets and free trade between countries. Europeans are much better off today thanks to the ability to move capital freely, the opportunity for talented individuals to [...]
Brussels cats are back: But why do we turn to internet cat memes like Grumpy Cat, Lolcats and #BrusselsLockdown in a time of crisis? March 22, 2016 Laughing at cats on the internet is nothing new. But using them as a tool to laugh in times of crisis could well be. Belgian authorities asked locals to avoid posting about police raids via social media for fear that information could aid terrorists, last year. People complied to this potentially aggravating censorship in an unconventional way. From hovercraft felines [...]
While Jeremy Corbyn may have failed to land any punches yesterday, George Osborne can’t bank on get out of jail free cards March 22, 2016 You know the feeling – the visceral unease as you drag yourself into work, gazing at a sea of fellow commuters, dreading some impending confrontation in the office. A showdown with your boss, colleagues, maybe a client. You gulp, take a deep breath, and front up. And then when the fireworks are set to explode… [...]
Osborne isn’t pillaging the poor to help the rich – but IDS is right to attack protection of pensioner benefits March 22, 2016 It's all about fairness, that slippery, subjective term which dominates so much of our political discourse. Following his resignation from the Cabinet on Friday, Iain Duncan Smith spent much of the weekend claiming it was unfair that the government had intended to cut disability benefits in a Budget in which taxes on higher-earning households were being [...]
The CBI has admitted defeat – and the economic case against Brexit is collapsing March 22, 2016 Monday 21 March will go down as a seminal moment in the campaign for the UK to leave the European Union. It was the day the CBI conceded defeat in the economic argument. From this point forward, following the publication of a study it commissioned from PwC, the business group will have to explain why [...]
Smart City: How London’s next mayor can harness the capital’s entrepreneurial energy to revolutionise local services and save millions March 22, 2016 Londoners are smart – you only have to look at the thousands of exciting, innovative new businesses sprouting up across the capital to see the benefits of such a tremendous concentration of human and intellectual capital. But is the capital itself as smart as the people who call it home? The new mayor, whoever it [...]
As fellow Tories say he’s finished as chancellor, should George Osborne rip up last week’s Budget and start again? March 22, 2016 Ben Southwood, head of research at the Adam Smith Institute, says Yes. Though the country could do without yet more marquee financial policy events, economic gimmicks and ill-considered policy changes, George Osborne’s latest Budget was bad enough that he should consider ripping it up and starting again. Glossing over the practical political costs – centred [...]
Apple’s iPhone SE launch was “meh”, but maybe that’s the point March 21, 2016 People still want a small phone that fits in their pocket. Yes yes, Apple has been trumpeting about bigger screens for the last year, so you’d be forgiven for thinking that was the future. But the average joe? Probably doesn't care as much about that as the most avid Apple fan, journalist or tech analyst [...]
Iain Duncan Smith’s dramatic resignation adds insult to injury for chancellor George Osborne March 21, 2016 A senior politician toured the broadcast studios on Sunday morning, accusing the government of presiding over “deeply unfair” policies and “drifting in a direction that divides society rather than unites it". This blistering attack wasn't launched by a fired-up Jeremy Corbyn but by a man who, just 48 hours previously, had been a senior member [...]