If Brexit is to blame for Britain’s economic woes what’s the EU’s excuse? Opinion The Labour government is blaming Brexit for low growth but ignoring that’s it’s a phenomenon plaguing the EU as well, says Paul Ormerod At the weekend, Bridget Phillipson became the latest leading politician to pin the economic woes of the UK on Brexit. She recognised that youth unemployment will continue to rise but argued that [...]
Economists may have ignored the biggest reason for our productivity decline Opinion Productivity in the West has slowed dramatically since the late 2000s, but there is no consensus as to why.
The answer to regional inequality isn’t public money, it’s productivity Opinion Andy Burnham’s ambitions for Number 10 North are nothing new, but successive governments have failed to focus on the key reason for differing regional outcomes, says Paul Ormerod The creation of Number 10 North symbolises a key aspect of Andy Burnham’s policies. Namely, to revive the economies of the more deprived parts of the UK. [...]
Digital investment nearly doubles since 2019 yet AI’s growth contributions questioned August 24, 2026 Investment in digital infrastructure has nearly doubled in the space of just five years official data has shown even as economists question whether recent gains in productivity are down to artificial intelligence. A revision of how digital infrastructure spending is calculated by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has suggested that business investment in digital [...]
Can John Healey deliver Burnham’s make-or-break devolution agenda? August 11, 2026 Devolution is Andy Burnham’s preferred growth lever. Maurício Alencar explores how devolution under Chancellor John Healey could save Britain – or destroy it. In 1998, two of the closest aides of then-chancellor Gordon Brown produced a report into the regional economic divide in Britain. The report, called ‘Towards a new regional policy: Delivering growth and [...]
FTSE 100 property giants urge Burnham to unleash London office construction July 20, 2026 London’s leading property giants have urged Andy Burnham to unleash a wave of new office construction in the capital to boost the UK’s stagnant productivity and sluggish growth. The London Property Alliance (LPA), which represents the capital’s 300 biggest property developers and investors, has written to the incoming Prime Minister urging him to designate central [...]
Burnham must walk a tightrope on his ascent to Downing Street June 19, 2026 After Andy Burnham cleared the path for a run at the Labour leadership with an emphatic win in the Makerfield by-election. Maurício Alencar sketches out what an Andy Burnham government could look like – and the balancing act he faces on the way there Despite romping home to victory in the Makerfield by-election on Friday, [...]
A state of the nation tale: The National Rail Museum won’t accept a model railway set May 19, 2026 From museums that won't accept model railway sets to the NHS's refusal to share data, British inefficiency is costing us billions.
UK firms are spending billions on AI – but getting extra admin in return May 14, 2026 UK companies are pouring copious amounts of money into AI, while their employees spend nearly a full day each week doing work that AI was supposed to eliminate, new research has found. According to Workday, one in four UK workers loses seven or more hours a week moving information between systems, chasing down data and [...]
Westminster permadrama is sabotaging productivity May 13, 2026 The constant drama of Westminster is distracting politicians, investors and the general public from getting on with what they're meant to.