Scotland is a warning of what Andy Burnham’s devolution experiment will look like July 30, 2026 For an idea of what left-wing devolution yields, look no further than Scotland, where SNP statist’s efforts to extort the wealthy have backfired, writes Joseph Dinnage For a socialist, Andy Burnham has a funny approach to central government. Unlike his forebears across the former Soviet Union, southeast Asia and Latin America, the King of the [...]
I’m a 21-year-old grad, why does the government want me to go on the dole to get a job? July 30, 2026 Oliver Dean was turned away from Job Centre because he wasn’t already on benefit. No wonder the welfare bill is ballooning Andy Burnham’s answer to youth unemployment has arrived. It begins with 14-year-olds, and the new technical pathways reach classrooms in September 2028. There is a great deal to be said for it and, as [...]
Here’s how to fix London listings July 30, 2026 The exodus from the London Stock Exchange demands practical solutions, not complaint, says Jonathan Dickson This week DCC Energy became the latest FTSE 100 group to be taken private, amid growing global competition for listings. Just last month, it emerged that as many as 20 FTSE 100 companies may move direct listings to New York. [...]
Ignore Palantir’s political opponents and look at the data: this technology helps patients July 30, 2026 It’s all very well for a country that can’t build a railway, a reservoir or a functioning hospital discharge process to congratulate itself on its scepticism, but the Health Foundation is wrong – Palantir’s NHS tool works, says Louis Mosley There is a ritual in British public life. A government programme shows signs of working. [...]
Has Nigel Farage peaked too soon? July 30, 2026 Whisper it but Nigel Farage and Reform UK’s ascendancy appears to be over, and the next election could be a straight Labour vs Conservatives fight, says Tom Harwood In May last year, when Keir Starmer dragged the nation’s political press along to a glass manufacturing centre in Warrington, everyone was a little baffled. While some [...]
Investors – and fans – should welcome Fifa’s $20 billion World Cup stake sale July 29, 2026 Ignore the outcry, Fifa’s plans to sell a minority stake in the World Cup will make international football more transparent and accountable and raise huge sums to develop the game, says Chad Teixeira Football’s governing bodies agree on almost nothing, so when UEFA announces that the World Cup “isn’t Fifas to sell”, it’s worth asking [...]
Andy Burnham’s technical education reforms are doomed to fail July 29, 2026 Reforming technical education is a laudable ambition but we have been here before. There are three questions Andy Burnham must answer before anyone takes him seriously, says Lord Agnew There is laudable ambition in the Prime Minister’s announcement of technical routes in education from 14, parity with the academic path and employers brought properly into [...]
Meet the new energy minister who believes lower growth is “good news” July 29, 2026 Before becoming an MP, Katie White, the new energy minister advocated for GPs to treat “climate grief” and councils to pay for “guided mindfulness works”, reveals Arthur Reynolds Last week, I brought news of our new Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh’s crusade against cars. Since then, things have gotten worse. Andy Burnham has made a former [...]
If Andy Burnham really wants to help NEETs he should rule out tax rises July 29, 2026 Andy Burnham’s announcements on technical education are welcome, but they will be meaningless if young people have no jobs to move into. The Budget will be the real test of how he plans to grow the economy, says Georgiana Bristol Andy Burnham has descended from the North with an array of new pledges and spending [...]
The debate: should voting be compulsory? July 29, 2026 Andy Burnham is said to be considering voting reform. Two writers go head to head on whether Britain should introduce Australian-style compulsory voting YES: Everyone’s vote should count, not just those who turn up British politics has a turnout problem. Just three in five registered voters went to the polls in the 2024 general election. [...]