The real meaning of Christmas? Capitalism! The message of Christmas – as Dickens and the Muppets knew – is that sharing wealth, rather than hording it brings both prosperity and joy to the world, writes James Price As we approach Christmas, capitalism is wont to come in for some criticism. Several classic Christmas movies, like Miracle on 34th Street and It’s [...]
Not classy: lawfare will weaken the British economy Opinion The recent explosion of class action lawsuits and third-party litigation funding in Britain is argued to be damaging the UK economy and its reputation for legal stability, often primarily enriching funders rather than compensating victims, says James Price American cinema has long loved the class action lawsuit. Hundreds, maybe thousands of little guys ganging up [...]
Labour’s evidence-free approach to policy is baffling Opinion Keir Starmer is often criticised for lacking an ideology, but his actions suggest a pathological belief in in restricting personal freedoms, impoverishing strivers and narrowing horizons of young people. Or socialism, for short, says James Price A catchphrase I’m fond of reciting is that the best way to make God laugh is to tell Him [...]
Do young people still have confidence in the Oxford Union? October 24, 2025 Why does the row over the president of the Oxford Union celebrating Charlie Kirk’s murder matter? Asks James Price As a dog returneth to its vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly. And so I return to student politics, yet again. Five years after I accidentally became the oldest ever president of the Oxford [...]
The Debate: This house has confidence in the president-elect of the Oxford Union September 16, 2025 Following the horrifying death of Charlie Kirk, the president-elect of the Oxford Union, George Abaraonye, posted comments online appearing to celebrate his murder. Since then, many have called for him to be removed from the post. The whole affair has raised questions about the necessity and limits of free speech in a democracy – and [...]
Britain’s investment exodus and the slow death of animal spirits September 11, 2025 The merger of Anglo American with Teck and Ineos’ halt to UK investment highlight a deepening crisis of confidence in Britain’s business climate, with critics blaming government policy for driving companies and capital overseas, says James Price The dwarves of Moria may have dug too deep in The Lord of the Rings, but the British [...]
Britain must re-learn the lessons of VE Day May 8, 2025 On the 80th anniversary of VE Day, it’s not enough to simply remember World War II – we must face today’s challenges with the same spirit of unity, resolve and sacrifice, says James Price The editor of these fine opinion pages turns to me when she wants someone to really ham up a topic, presumably [...]
Could Britain survive a blackout? April 30, 2025 Blackouts across the Iberian Peninsula have exposed the fragility of our highly-connected infrastructure – and Britain is uniquely ill-equipped for a similar incident, says James Price In Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged, society comes crashing down because the most talented people are not respected or rewarded for their endeavours, so they go on strike. Quickly, things [...]
Nationalising British Steel – again? Look where it got us the first time April 16, 2025 Nationalising British Steel is a story we already know the ending to. Repeating it is the definition of insanity, writes James Price.
Britain must not forget the lessons of Adam Smith April 8, 2025 Adam Smith taught us that trade is not a zero-sum game 250 years ago. Trump may not have read his Wealth of Nations, but the rest of the world now must, says James Price Much ink has been spilled over Trump’s tariffs in the past few weeks. At a glance, the bear case is that [...]
