Reeves’ summer of fun won’t deliver growth Opinion Instead of attempting to stimulate demand, Reeves should focus on helping hospitality from the supply-side, writes Matthew Bowles.
Conservatives have the right diagnosis, but can they cure Britain’s ailments? Opinion Mel Stride has set out his vision for the economic future of the UK, Matthew Bowles gives his analysis Westminster has spent much of the past week discussing the emergence of a supposed “Burnham premium” on British borrowing costs – the suggestion being that the mere prospect of Andy Burnham returning to national politics could [...]
King’s Speech shows incremental change is all Starmer knows Opinion Keir Starmer says incremental change won't cut it, yet his King's Speech was nothing but tinkering and rearranging, writes Matthew Bowles.
The FCA’s new targeted support regime risks further confusion for consumers April 15, 2026 The FCA’s new “targeted support” regime, introduced to bridge the gap between generic guidance and regulated financial advice, risks being more complex and less effective than the system it replaces, says Matthew Bowles Last Monday, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) formally introduced its new “targeted support” regime. This is an attempt to bridge the long-discussed [...]
Subsidised jobs won’t fix youth unemployment December 16, 2025 The young do not need moral lectures. They need chances. And chances come from businesses that are free to hire, free to experiment and free to take risks, not from the state, says Matthew Bowles Last weekend, the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Pat McFadden, announced on the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg [...]
Farage’s speech was light on detail, but his instincts are right November 3, 2025 For all its “rabble-rousing” flourishes, Nigel Farage’s speech showed he understands that the City isn’t a London vanity project, it’s the bedrock of the entire UK economy, says Matthew Bowles Britain’s economic situation is hard to sugar-coat. Taxation is at some of the highest levels since Attlee’s day, and parts of the British economy are [...]
Ed Miliband’s Green New Deal won’t deliver 400,000 ‘new’ jobs October 6, 2025 The language of "job creation" is seductive, but Ed Miliband's promise to create 400,000 'new' green jobs is deceiving, writes Matthew Bowles.
Kemi is right: markets not ministers should determine energy policy September 2, 2025 The UK’s policy of using massive subsidies to support politically-favored green technologies has resulted in some of the highest energy prices in the developed world, and the government should instead foster a competitive, technology-neutral market to drive down costs and encourage innovation, says Matthew Bowles “We are in the absurd situation where our country is [...]
Trump’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ is bad news for Britain June 17, 2025 A hidden clause in Trump’s latest bill could slap UK investors with steep new taxes, threatening transatlantic capital flows and global economic cooperation, says Matthew Bowles United States President Donald Trump’s latest legislative behemoth has sent shockwaves through Washington. Dubbed “a disgusting abomination” by Elon Musk and greeted with scepticism by Republican Kentucky Senator, Rand [...]
Starmer’s EU deal risks stifling the UK’s thriving gene editing sector May 30, 2025 Aligning with EU on genetically modified food and agricultural products will create a regulatory cliffedge for a sector which has investors queuing and in which Britain has the chance to lead the world, says Matthew Bowles Last week, Sir Keir Starmer unveiled plans that could risk quietly derailing one of Britain’s fastest-growing scientific sectors, all [...]
