James Watt: Andy Burnham blames everyone but himself for the NEETs crisis September 17, 2026 Telling young people they’ve been let down by ‘the system’ is a narrative of despair that removes all agency from young people. If Andy Burnham really wants to help NEETs he should get out of employers’ way, says James Watt Andy Burnham’s recent comments about the growing number of young people not in education, employment [...]
In defence of Ealing Broadway’s ‘calm space’ September 17, 2026 The arrival of an unlit hut at Ealing Broadway has naturally been the source of ridicule, but there is some sense behind it, says Sophie Maxwell Brown.
Loveholidays CEO: Travel is no longer discretionary, it’s an essential part of people’s lives September 17, 2026 Each week, we dig into the memory bank of the City's great and good. Today, Loveholidays CEO Donat Rétif takes us through his career.
Britain needs tax devolution, but beware of fiscal war September 17, 2026 Britain is an outlier for tax centralisation, but devolution can go badly wrong, says Tim Sarson Last week government front benchers and local leaders from across England got together at Number 10 North to discuss the details of a new Visitor Levy, or tourism tax. Quite a momentous moment in its own way, because this [...]
Has Apple accidentally made the perfect phone for old people? September 16, 2026 Has Apple accidentally built an age-tech device without calling it one, asks Paul Armstrong after the release of the first foldable iPhone.
The Debate: Should the City drop its ban on tower logos? September 16, 2026 A 1911 ruling by the City of London Corporation means businesses are still unable to adorn their skyscrapers with logos. Should this change?
The NEET crisis is a failure of the state, not the individual September 16, 2026 The first step in solving the NEET crisis is honesty about why so many young people are now trapped in the benefits system.
Government policy, not the Bank of England will determine future interest rate hikes September 16, 2026 Today’s inflation data does not address two troubling risk on the horizons: a renewed surge in global energy prices and the upcoming Budget, says William Nixon This morning’s inflation data came in close to market expectations, with headline inflation rising to 3.1 per cent in August from 2.9 per cent in July. Compositionally, the increase [...]
Did call centres cause Brexit? September 16, 2026 Over a generation, millions of ordinary interactions with government, utility providers, financial institutions and corporate giants became remote, standardised and procedural. Each individual change was introduced in the name of operational efficiency. But accumulated across a lifetime, they altered something more fundamental: our sense that an individual can make things happen, says Lucy Harris Did [...]
It’s time savers benefited from Britain’s scale-up success September 16, 2026 Growth in every postcode won’t help Brits if the proceeds are invested abroad, says Saul Klein As a serial entrepreneur, operator and investor I’ve noticed that Britain has a habit of talking itself down, even when the evidence tells a different story. Across the UK, from King’s Cross to our regional innovation clusters, we have [...]