Britain deserves better than our cabbage patch politicians February 12, 2026 It’s easy to forget how little most people pay attention to politicians. The only thing that really matters to the public is the cost of living, and no politician seems to get it, says Tom Harwood I was carrying a cabbage in my hands on the way into work on Monday. Yes, a cabbage. In [...]
Make toilets beautiful again! February 11, 2026 Britain is in the midst of a public toilet crisis. Roderick Bates makes the case for making toilets plentiful - and beautiful again.
The Debate: Can you date across the divide? February 11, 2026 Ahead of Valentine’s Day, we ask the big question: can a Tory really love a leftie? Read the case for and against in this week's Debate.
Starmer will fail to improve living standards – but it isn’t all his fault February 11, 2026 Between the mid 1960s and the mid 2000s, the living standards of the poorest half of households doubled. Increasing by 1.9 per cent a year, it took four decades to make this leap. To emulate that progress again, starting from today, would take 137 years. This is not a state of affairs that can be [...]
Reasons to be cheerful in an age of extraordinary technological progress February 11, 2026 Headlines are dominated by the oncoming AI apocalypse. The 21st century, far from being an age of decay, may prove to be the most creative and constructive period in human history, says Madsen Pirie We are told that the world is in irreversible decline. Newsfeeds deliver a daily diet of disasters, wars, fires, floods, political [...]
Why the net zero transition is not about building more wind turbines February 11, 2026 The UK is electrifying faster than it is building the infrastructure to support it. The transition won’t fail because we can’t generate enough power, but because the grid isn’t stable enough to deliver it. says Emma Parkinson The EV charger story is being treated like a consumer inconvenience – a queueing problem, a pricing problem, [...]
London markets are poised to turn a corner in 2026. Here’s how to prepare February 11, 2026 There is a clear and renewed appetite for the UK market, particularly from overseas investors. Here’s what will come next and what London needs to do to benefit, says Ross Mitchinson I’m more optimistic than ever about London’s prospects as a dominant investment destination for the year ahead. At a recent landmark dbAccess UKI Conference [...]
Warnings on AI from the Industrial Revolution February 11, 2026 The mechanisation of weaving in the 19th century didn’t just affect jobs, it led to years of political unrest culminating in the Peterloo Massacre. Leaders had better be ready for what’s coming with AI, says Paul Ormerod Last week the US AI company Anthropic released a tool which it says can automate legal work such [...]
Why the Tory Party tried to persuade Karren Brady to run for London mayor February 10, 2026 The Tories need a political heavyweight to come forward and run for mayor. We once tried but to no avail, writes Giles Kenningham
Mandelson scandal proves it’s time to rewrite lobbying rules February 10, 2026 Peter Mandelson, the Prince of Darkness, operated in the shadows. Only improved transparency around lobbying can prevent the next scandal, says Alastair McCarpra Pete Brown’s book Clubland, on the history of Britain’s working men’s clubs, includes an account of early lobbying in Westminster. Faced with the potentially damaging 1902 Licensing Act, the Club & Institute Union [...]