Reform is gathering in Birmingham this week – with plenty to celebrate September 2, 2025 Amidst widespread economic pessimism and the rising salience of immigration, Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Labour government faces a collapse in public support as polls show Nigel Farage’s Reform UK surging to a commanding lead, writes Matthew Lesh Last month, Keir Starmer’s family summer escape to Scotland was abruptly cut short by an urgent dash across [...]
CMA’s Google crackdown will put the UK’s AI revolution on hold August 13, 2025 The heavy hand of the CMA, on Google and tech companies it barely understands, will stop the UK from capitalising on AI, writes Matthew Lesh.
Gloomy Brits now think Reform is the party of business August 5, 2025 Almost three quarters of voters (72 per cent) say that they are not confident in the government’s plan to achieve economic growth, and a majority (53 per cent) believe things are set to get worse for the UK economy over the next 12 months, says Matthew Lesh In 1997, Tony Blair promised that things can [...]
Labour voters are suffering from buyers’ remorse July 8, 2025 32 per cent of those who voted Labour in 2024 say that they regret voting the way that they did at the last General Election, compared to just 15 per cent of all voters, according to the latest City AM/Freshwater Strategy Poll, says Matthew Lesh Even the Chancellor’s harshest critics must have felt a flicker [...]
Reeves’ central mission is in tatters June 10, 2025 The Chancellor is the least popular person in British politics and this week’s Spending Review is unlikely to turn things around for Rachel Reeves, says Matthew Lesh This month’s City AM / Freshwater Strategy Poll lays bare the Chancellor’s precarious position ahead of this week’s spending review. Rachel Reeves is personally the least popular figure in British [...]
Reform is rising rapidly, but voter frustration can only carry Farage so far May 13, 2025 Reform UK is surging ahead of Labour, but voter frustration can only carry Farage so far, writes Matthew Lesh.
Let’s be honest, the ever-rising minimum wage is hurting employment April 19, 2025 Rising from £3.60 to £12.21 in just 26 years, the ever-rising national minimum wage isn't actually helping workers, writes Matthew Lesh.
Brits are bracing for the worst as Trump’s tariffs bite April 8, 2025 Trump’s tariffs are having a seismic impact on British politics, the economy and even the national mood, the latest City AM/Freshwater Strategy poll shows, writes Matthew Lesh Last month’s City Am / Freshwater Strategy poll revealed some green shoots for the economy. While far from a glowing overall picture, the trend was towards a more optimistic outlook [...]
Voters will punish Labour if rhetoric on welfare doesn’t match reality March 20, 2025 Much like the previous Tory administration, this Labour government’s political downfall risks being driven by a vast gap between its promises and actual delivery, says Matthew Lesh The government has announced reforms aimed at getting the rising number of post-Covid jobless into the workforce and reducing the welfare bill. The Prime Minister presents the initiative [...]
Starmer’s defence policy is popular, but voters still don’t rate him March 4, 2025 There are decades where nothing happens, and there are weeks where decades happen. This quote — often attributed to history’s other murderous Vladimir, Soviet leader Lenin — could not describe the last week more aptly. The heart-sinking scene of Donald Trump and JD Vance locked in a tense, antagonistic exchange with Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the [...]
