Retail restraint: John Lewis and Primark decline government help to play the long game July 16, 2020 For retail, the story of Covid-19 has been one of survival. Inevitably, the sector has looked to the government for assistance. Even the most hardened devotee of the free market has seen the Treasury’s coffers as a life belt to help companies get through the worst of the pandemic. Change and adaptation can come later. [...]
Commuting in the post-Covid world July 3, 2020 It’s a cliche to say that the Covid-19 pandemic has changed everything — we need to get over this and embrace “the new normal”. But change needs more than an embrace: it needs to be understood and thought-through, not rushed into headlong because everyone else is doing it. And nowhere is such consideration more necessary [...]
DEBATE: Was it the right decision to end the daily government press briefings? June 24, 2020 Was it the right decision to end the daily government press briefings? Eliot Wilson, co-founder of Pivot Point and a former House of Commons official, says YES. The coronavirus pandemic changed so much. One thing it brought was daily Downing Street press conferences, at which a senior minister would take questions, flanked by advisers or [...]
Debate: Are the emergency powers granted to the government in the Coronavirus Bill too long-lasting? March 26, 2020 Yesterday, the Lords passed the Coronavirus Bill, which gives the government never-before-seen powers in a bid to halt the outbreak. However, they will only be reviewed every six months. City A.M. asks whether this is too long-lasting. Yes, says Silkie Carlo, director of Big Brother Watch Emergency powers are needed – but with an emergency [...]
DEBATE: Could Sir Philip Rutnam’s resignation turn into a major headache for the government? March 3, 2020 Could Sir Philip Rutnam’s resignation turn into a major headache for the government? Eliot Wilson, head of research at Right Angles and a former House of Commons official, says YES. The resignation of Sir Philip Rutnam is not just a spat between a Whitehall mandarin and his minister. Its impact goes much further than that, [...]
Guru or Svengali? Dominic Cummings is at risk of becoming the story, not the adviser January 31, 2020 Civil service reform does not usually make headline news — unless, it seems, it is proposed by Dominic Cummings. The Prime Minister’s adviser is on a mission to shake up Whitehall. He’s determined to change how it makes decisions and bring in “weirdos and misfits” with expertise in data science and IT. Classic Dom. He [...]
DEBATE: Should Boris Johnson consider a complete cabinet overhaul after Brexit? January 14, 2020 Should Boris Johnson consider a complete cabinet overhaul after Brexit? Victoria Mackarness, account manager at CMS Strategic, says YES. Boris Johnson has an overwhelming majority, Brexit is on track to be delivered in just a couple of weeks, and the Conservative party is at last united on Europe for the first time in decades. This [...]
DEBATE: Should we pursue a trade deal with the EU and the US at the same time? January 8, 2020 Should the government pursue a US trade deal and negotiate with the EU at the same time? YES, says Michael Haston, chief executive of Leonne International. As we reach the brink of the UK’s long-debated departure from the EU, the finer details of a trade deal are still very much up for debate. Businesses cannot [...]
DEBATE: Is it time to reform the civil service, as Dominic Cummings intends? December 19, 2019 Is it time for a full restructuring of the civil service, as Dominic Cummings intends? YES, says Duncan Simpson, research director at the TaxPayers’ Alliance. The “Rolls Royce” reputation of the civil service has long been in question. From hugely overpriced procurements in defence and transport, to overly-anxious advice on EU exit negotiations, the supposed [...]
He might not be best friends with the press, but the Prime Minister is no Putin August 27, 2019 Is Boris Johnson the new Vladimir Putin? That’s what Dorothy Byrne, head of news for Channel 4, suggested at the Edinburgh Festival last week. Byrne said that Boris Johnson was “a known liar”, and accused him of aping not only Donald Trump, but the Russian President in his dealings with the press. A head of [...]
