DEBATE: Is the obsessive focus from politicians on increasing home ownership misguided? June 26, 2019 Is the obsessive focus from politicians on increasing home ownership misguided? Clive Docwra, managing director of McBains, says YES. Politicians are obsessed with home ownership, including both contenders for Prime Minister. Jeremy Hunt has put a new “right to own” policy at the heart of his bid, while Boris Johnson has backed replacing Help to [...]
Tragedy awaits if we don’t bridge the gap between beliefs and reality in the NHS June 26, 2019 A tragic story over the weekend revealed how a man who died of lung cancer was failed abysmally by the NHS. Two separate sets of doctors omitted to tell him for over a year that he had the disease. The added poignancy of the news item was that the victim was a relative of Nye [...]
The special Anglo-American relationship is still worth celebrating – and defending June 25, 2019 To understand how close the relationship between Britain and America really is, consider a conversation that took place in December 2003, between the heads of the US National Security Agency (NSA) and the UK’s GCHQ. There was intelligence, the US intelligence chief said, to suggest that al-Qaeda was planning a nuclear attack. So if [...]
DEBATE: Will character matter more than policy detail in the Tory leadership contest? June 25, 2019 Will character matter more than policy detail in the Tory leadership contest? Alex Deane, a Conservative commentator, says YES. Our members aren’t going to cast their votes based on policy minutiae. Plainly, whether or not you think that they should, they’ll be voting on character. When I say “character”, I don’t mean it in the [...]
Heathrow expansion is taking off – now let’s inject some competition into aviation June 25, 2019 It is an airport running at full capacity – and has been for years. Now at last, with the parliamentary approval of a new runway and the release of competing development plans, Heathrow expansion is back on the menu, boys. One of the contenders to be the next Prime Minister, Jeremy Hunt, is a firm [...]
The UK and India: Moving forward together June 25, 2019 India and the UK have more than 200 years of shared history characterised by democratic traditions, connected cultural institutions, and the English language. This history is a strong foundation on which our bilateral trade and investment relations are continually nurtured and reinforced. Our investments in each other’s economies have grown over the years, and there [...]
Building a Britain that is fit for the future June 25, 2019 The ability to control immigration and secure our borders was an important part of why many people voted to leave the EU, and everyone would agree it needs to work in the best interests of the UK and our economy. As home secretary, the son of immigrants and a former businessman, I know the vital [...]
The definition of a think tank is up for debate June 25, 2019 Do you know what a think tank is, and can you name one? An amusing survey published yesterday revealed a predictably yawning gap between the commentariat, the chattering class, the Westminster bubble – call it what you will – and the average man or woman in the street. Just 75 people out of a sample [...]
The ‘Brics’ concept is a lazy and misguided tool for assessing emerging markets June 24, 2019 Seen in hindsight, the “Brics” concept was the perfect analytical tool for our lazy age, making one big point that required little thought while ignoring the nuance that is the basis of all good political risk analysis. Coined in 2001 by then Goldman Sachs chief economist Jim O’Neill, the idea that the rising developing countries [...]
Boris must remember his success as a pro-business London mayor June 24, 2019 As the final two leadership candidates embark on a tour of the country to sell their vision for Britain to Conservative party members, the business leaders I speak to are clear on what they need: the next Prime Minister must be able to facilitate a successful future for our economy, society and communities, while bringing [...]