Letting go of the dream of mass membership political parties December 27, 2024 The existing model of political supporter engagement – mass membership – is over. Parties who want to survive must look to the future, says Frances Lasok Less than 140,000 people decided the new leader of the Conservative Party this year. They’re participants in a niche pursuit: across parties, across Europe, membership has plummeted since the [...]
Can you complete City AM’s Politics Quiz of the Year 2024? December 23, 2024 It’s been a busy year for politics in 2024. From elections in the UK and US, Labour’s first Budget in 14 years, farmers protests and more, how well do you remember the twists and turns of the past 12 months? Well, while you’re enjoying a mince pie and glass of Baileys, we’ve put together a [...]
A look back at the highs and lows of politics in 2024 December 20, 2024 With elections in the UK and US in 2024, a new government, and a fresh opposition leader, watchers of Westminster and elsewhere have had a busy year in politics. At City AM we’ve followed every twist and turn as Labour secured an election victory in July, Donald Trump pulled off a White House comeback and [...]
If we “re-wire” the state, how much should government do? December 16, 2024 There is a consensus that the state must be more efficient, but less attention has been paid to how much it should actually do, says Eliot Wilson The government has been talking in revolutionary terms recently about how Britain is run. When he appointed Sir Chris Wormald as the new cabinet secretary, the Prime Minister [...]
Home secretary criticised for not saying when small boat crossings will fall December 15, 2024 The home secretary has been criticised for not saying when small boat crossings will fall. Yvette Cooper has insisted the government has a moral responsibility to tackle the crisis, but refused to say when the number of people arriving across the English Channel will decline. The Labour minister was criticised by her Tory opponent for [...]
Free trade is the future for post-Brexit Britain December 13, 2024 As Britain joins CPTPP, we are finally realising the benefits of an independent trade policy made possible by Brexit, says Fred de Frossard This weekend, the United Kingdom’s membership of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) is finally activated. The UK will be the twelfth member to join, taking the trade area’s [...]
The battle of ideas is more important than ever December 11, 2024 One of the features of modern politics is just how reactionary it is; political leaders jump from issue to issue as the agenda dictates while the media (understandably) follows or leads this trend. For those who keep a close eye on politics it can therefore feel as if life is a series of tactical battles [...]
Badenoch must beware flirting with Trump’s national conservatism December 11, 2024 Kemi Badenoch’s recent trip to North America seems to have gone well, but she should be wary of taking too much inspiration from Donald Trump and JD Vance, says Joseph Dinnage It hardly evoked Beatlemania, but Kemi Badenoch’s recent North American jaunt seemed to go pretty well. During her trip, the Tory leader met with [...]
Shock poll puts Reform UK ahead of Labour for first time, as Tories surge December 5, 2024 A new poll has put Reform UK one point ahead of the Labour Party for the first time. Research by pollsters at FindOutNow put Nigel Farage’s party on 24 per cent, one point above Labour on 23 per cent. While Kemi Badenoch’s Conservative Party came higher than both, at 26 per cent, with the Lib [...]
PMQs: Reeves ‘coming back for more’ in next Budget, Badenoch warns December 4, 2024 Chancellor Rachel Reeves will be “coming back for more” borrowing and further tax rises in her next Budget, according to Tory leader Kemi Badenoch. During a feisty PMQs the Conservative leader railed against the Prime Minister who she said “failed to repeat the Chancellor’s pledge of no more borrowing and no more taxes”. After referencing [...]