Britain’s growth slumps and the Business Secretary scratches his head Politics Having spent another day wading through the Epstein-Mandelson email traffic I was going to write another column about how unbelievably grubby the revelations are, but it’s too depressing. So, I thought I’d focus on something more cheerful; the latest downgrades to the UK’s economic growth forecasts. On his visit to China alongside the PM, the [...]
Not classy: lawfare will weaken the British economy Opinion The recent explosion of class action lawsuits and third-party litigation funding in Britain is argued to be damaging the UK economy and its reputation for legal stability, often primarily enriching funders rather than compensating victims, says James Price American cinema has long loved the class action lawsuit. Hundreds, maybe thousands of little guys ganging up [...]
Left and rightwing think tanks join to call for ‘pro-growth’ tax reform Economics Several think tanks from across the political divide have joined forces to call for sweeping tax reforms in a report that seeks to prioritise productivity growth and fairness in the wider system. Economists and policy officials from the left-leaning IPPR, the right-leaning Centre for Policy Studies and the likes of the Adam Smith Institute and [...]
Property taxes send UK to ‘second-bottom’ of global rankings October 20, 2025 The UK is second-bottom of global competitiveness rankings for property taxes, fresh analysis has shown, undermining Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ ambition to “back the builders, not the blockers”. The Tax Foundation’s International Tax Competitiveness Index placed the UK at 32nd out of 38 in a damning indictment of HMRC’s complicated rules and a higher burden preventing [...]
Rachel Reeves gears up for £1bn savings in Motability October 17, 2025 Rachel Reeves is reportedly planning a £1bn savings package through cuts to the Motability scheme offered to disabled people. As part of a drive to plug a £30bn hole in the public purse, the Chancellor is considering reducing the number of BMWs and Mercedes some disability claimants can access through the Motability scheme, which is [...]
Taxpayers give over billions for new vehicles under Motability scheme September 11, 2025 The budget for new vehicles under the Motability scheme for disabled people is higher than expenditure on school repairs across the UK, fresh analysis has indicated, in further evidence of the breakdown of the social contract. Number-crunching by the free market think tank Adam Smith Institute has shown that the scheme, which allows disabled people [...]
Third of young Brits favour authoritarian leader over democracy August 12, 2025 A third of young adults said they would back an authoritarian system if leaders could take decisions more quickly, a new poll has said, in signs new voters believe the UK’s social contract is breaking down and belief in the principles of democracy are fading. In fresh research led by Adam Smith Insights, a sister [...]
Cut tax for under 35s or watch them leave the country July 30, 2025 The most pressing choice I faced over the past week was whether to swim in the pool or the sea. We lounged our way from lazy lunch to long dinner, occasionally mustering the energy to stroll to the boulangerie. As I put the key in the front door of our south London home last night [...]
Facing low pay and rising rents, a quarter of young Brits weigh UK exit July 29, 2025 Over a quarter of young Brits are considering leaving the UK to escape the country’s stuttering economy and unaffordable housing market. As many as 28 per cent of 18-30 year-olds are either planning to quit the UK or have seriously considered emigrating, according to a poll from free-market think tank the Adam Smith Institute (ASI). [...]
Brits back tax incentive plan to stop wealthy investors fleeing UK July 22, 2025 Two thirds of Britons support offering rich investors tax incentives to stop them leaving the UK, according to a new report, as the government has been urged to design a special scheme to boost UK growth. In a new paper by Onward and the Adam Smith Institute, around 67 per cent of the British public [...]