Squint hard enough and you can see signs of the AI bubble bursting Opinion Is the AI bubble bursting? Naturally, most eyes are on the movements of the world’s biggest tech firms – the OpenAIs, the Microsofts, the Nvidias. These are, after all, where a large share of AI investment has been deployed. But for the earliest tell-tale signs, it’s worth looking a lot further down the food chain. [...]
ESG-backed firms ‘fell twice as much’ as FTSE 100 in 2024 Markets UK firms that gained approval from an Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) ratings provider fell by twice as much as the FTSE 100 in 2024, researchers have said in a report spelling out the costs and problems companies face in complying with sustainability targets. Analysts at the right-leaning think tank Policy Exchange said firms incurred [...]
British taxpayers are picking up the tab for Ireland’s policy failures Opinion Ireland is squandering the benefits of its low-tax status by undermining American security interests. That’s a warning to Britain, says Ticiana Alencar Politicians and media often speak with confidence about the benefits of our ‘special relationship’ with the USA. Ireland has long counted on similar cultural ties– but, through their economic and foreign policy decisions, [...]
Up to £115bn government spending cuts ‘staring us in the face’ October 22, 2025 Around £115bn in cuts to government spending each year are “staring us in the face”, according to a new report, as Chancellor Rachel Reeves faces increasing pressure to regain control of the public finances. In a paper published by the think tank Policy Exchange, the Chancellor has been warned to prevent a “twin-pronged fiscal crisis” [...]
Reform promise to scrap ‘insane’ Northern Powerhouse Rail September 8, 2025 Reform UK has pledged to scrap Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR), labelling the project “insane” ahead of a major announcement by the Labour government in the coming weeks. Richard Tice, in a forward to a report by centre-right think tank Policy Exchange, told companies considering bidding for contracts to build NPR that they should “not bother” [...]
Let’s be honest, birthrates won’t go up without a religious revival September 6, 2025 Pro-natalist policies are welcome – but are unlikely to impact birthrates without a concurrent social shift to more traditional values.
After EU-US deal, even Remoaners must admit Brexit has its benefits August 1, 2025 Even the most ardent opponents of Brexit have been forced to concede the UK has got a better deal with the US than the EU.
Next boss Lord Wolfson in calls for ‘renewed centre right’ July 19, 2025 Lord Wolfson, the boss of retail giant Next, has called for a “renewed centre right” which champions the free markets’ importance in raising living standards. Wolfson, a Conservative life peer and prominent supporter of Brexit, argued a “commitment to liberty” should form the basis of the right-wing movement in the UK. “This classical liberalism stands [...]
Sajid Javid joins calls to replace ‘unfit’ NHS with insurance model July 14, 2025 Former health secretary Sajid Javid has joined calls for a major overhaul of the National Health Service (NHS) that would see it replaced by a universal social insurance-based model. Javid said a “serious conversation with taxpayers” about how to fund the institution was “long overdue,” throwing his weight behind a paper by Policy Exchange which [...]
Keir Starmer urged to slash number of graduate visas July 2, 2025 Prime Minister Keir Starmer has been urged to scrap the graduate visa for thousands of international students as universities have provided “backdoor access” for longer-term settlement, according to a leading think tank. The government unveiled its immigration white paper aimed at getting net migration levels down, with the period during which graduates are able to [...]