Tony Blair calls on Labour to ditch key net zero target Energy Tony Blair’s think tank has called for the government to ditch its 2030 clean power target as it urged the Labour government to focus on making electricity cheaper in order to persuade Brits to use it over gas. In a report published by the Tony Blair Institute (TBI), researchers called for the government to “solve” [...]
Don’t believe Starmer’s spin on skills Opinion Keir Starmer has abandoned the target of sending 50 per cent of young people to university, but he risks extending the worst failings of universities into further education, says Iain Mansfield Last week, to great fanfare, Keir Starmer tore up Tony Blair’s target of sending 50 per cent of young people to university. He is [...]
Digital ID cards are a sign of a Groundhog Day government that’s out of ideas Opinion Digital ID cards – or ‘Brit cards’ as Starmer calls them – are a Blair-era policy being recycled at the worst possible time, says James Ford It has been estimated that there are no fewer than 138 movie sequels currently in production. By any estimate, that is a lot of sequels. Even Homer Simpson is [...]
Keir Starmer unveils ‘Brit card’ to tackle illegal migration September 26, 2025 The UK government will introduce a mandatory digital ID card – labelled the ‘Brit card’ – in a bid to make Whitehall more efficient and take control of illegal work by some migrants as Keir Starmer said the country had to take on “the politics of predatory grievance”. The Prime Minister announced plans on Friday [...]
Keir Starmer puts Treasury manpower in No 10 at expense of Reeves September 1, 2025 Keir Starmer has made a series of new appointments that point to his drive to bolster No10’s focus on the UK economy at the expense of the Treasury. Starmer has given Darren Jones the newly-created position of chief secretary to the prime minister after he previously served as the chief secretary to the Treasury. In [...]
Top private school faces job cuts after Reeves’ tax grab June 21, 2025 A prestigious private school has said it may be forced to make job cuts due to the Labour government’s removal of VAT exemption on school fees. Edinburgh-based Fettes College – where former Prime Minister Tony Blair is among alumni – has said the introduction of VAT on school fees contributed to the “difficult” decision to [...]
AI and digitally-enabled healthcare could be revolutionary – but what about the fine print? June 6, 2025 AI and digital technology hold transformative potential for healthcare, but to fully realise their benefits, we must address public concerns around trust, misinformation, and regulation while ensuring the human element of care remains central, says Heather Smith As Sir Tony Blair said this week, there is enormous potential for digital and AI technology to reshape [...]
Labour exploring plans for ‘Britcard’ digital ID to curb illegal migration June 6, 2025 Labour is exploring a new national, universal digital ID card for every adult in the UK to tackle illegal migration. The ID is being tentatively branded as ‘Britcard’, and could be downloaded onto a smartphone in the shape of a “free verifier app”. Plans for the digital ID were laid out in detail by the [...]
Luton Airport appoints former Labour cabinet minister as new chair May 5, 2025 Luton Airport has appointed former Labour cabinet minister and peer Lord John Hutton as chair as it presses ahead with plans to significantly expand capacity. Lord Hutton served in both Tony Blair and Gordon Brown’s cabinets as Secretary of State for Defence, Business and in the Department for Work and Pensions, where he led initiatives [...]
Solar panels must be fitted on all new homes from 2027 in net zero push May 1, 2025 New rules will mandate that housebuilders fit solar panels on the roofs of almost every new-build home from 2027, in a move slammed as an “ideological crusade”. According to a report in The Times, the policy change would add around £3,300 to the cost of building a semi-detached or terraced house, with a £4,000 premium [...]