What is the long-term plan for the Strait of Hormuz? March 23, 2026 The disruption of the critical Strait of Hormuz by Iran has created a major global energy crisis that requires a high-risk military solution – but the West currently lacks both the determination and a coherent long-term plan. says Eliot Wilson Today is a red-letter day for Middle East navigational hazard enthusiasts: five years ago, at [...]
The UK founder exodus is not just about tax – it’s about tone March 23, 2026 Minus tax, the UK still has the fundamentals to nurture entrepreneurs, but it's presenting itself as a wimpish place to work, writes Sean Bannister.
Here’s how to make energy cheaper March 23, 2026 Tax cuts, radical planning reform and massively expanding nuclear is the answer to the energy crisis, says Sam Richards How do you respond to an energy crisis? That’s the question ministers will be asking officials as war in Iran sends oil and gas prices soaring. I know, because I was sitting in Number 10 being [...]
What makes Rachel Reeves think she should be picking winners? March 20, 2026 Rachel Reeves’ vision for an “active and strategic” state is just old fashioned dirigisme with a new name, says Emmanuel Igwe A few hours before her Mais lecture this week, the chancellor had told Faisal Islam in an interview that she “so believed in an active and strategic state… working with working people to shape the [...]
Is AI ‘vibe coding’ too good to be true? March 20, 2026 AI means companies can now 'vibe code' their own software products on the cheap – but they may soon discover the risks, writes Paul Armstrong.
CMA must act now to fix Britain’s broken cloud market March 20, 2026 The CMA correctly diagnosed the UK cloud market as broken and dysfunctional, so why isn’t it changing anything, writes Lord Clement-Jones.
Incompetent managers will sink the government’s NEETs plan March 20, 2026 Scrapping all funding for management apprenticeships is a big mistake, says Petra Wilton If Pat McFadden wants more young people not in education, employment or training (known as NEETs) to succeed in work, this week’s decision to essentially wipe out all funding for management apprenticeships, which train the managers who hire, support and coach them [...]
Open banking is a growth engine Britain cannot ignore March 20, 2026 Open banking doesn't grab headlines like AI, but combining these technologies can deliver exponential benefits, writes John Glen MP.
Gilt yields – the hidden driver of house prices March 20, 2026 Everyone has assumed, understandably, that the two main factors influencing UK house prices are supply and affordability, but there is a third driver: gilt yields, says James Sproule James Carville, Bill Clinton’s political strategist, famously said if reincarnation was real, he wanted to come back as the bond market, “because then I can intimidate everyone”. [...]
Zack hits back – but I stand by what I said: The Green Party is dangerous March 19, 2026 After yesterday’s column on Zack Polanski (“I wouldn’t vote for his party in a million years“) the Green Party leader hit back, suggesting a lack of compassion on my part. Being firmly of a free-market persuasion I’m used to having my motives questioned, but I stand by my view that Polanski’s economic policies (wealth taxes, [...]