Labour now has the same talking points as the Tories, but fewer ideas December 12, 2024 Labour came into office mocking Tory complains about the civil service, but are now coming up against the reality of an unwieldy bureaucracy unresponsive to their demands, says Matthew Lesh “Dominic Cummings was right“ is not a phrase you would expect to hear from a senior Labour official. But, in less than a few hundred days, [...]
Let’s be honest… public health grinches want to steal Christmas November 28, 2024 Calorie counts on menus have been proven not to work, but nanny-state Scrooges are marching on regardless, says Matthew Lesh The holiday season has begun. Christmas trees are already everywhere. The cities’ shopping thoroughfares are sparkling with decorations. Slow-walking tourists are getting in the way even more than usual. Yet one group simply refuses to [...]
Let’s be honest… this Budget is austerity for the private sector October 30, 2024 Rachel Reeves has introduced a new kind of Marxism with this Budget, where private industry foots the bill for an expanding public sector, and the poorest don’t get better off, says Mattew Lesh Just two months ago, in a speech delivered inside Downing Street, Keir Starmer declared that growth and wealth creation were his government’s [...]
Let’s be honest… feel-good campaigns are ruining Britain October 17, 2024 Every government promises to cut red tape but ends up adding more. The only way to break the cycle is to stop listening to nice sounding arguments, says Matthew Lesh Google’s CEO Eric Schmidt did not mince words at this week’s International Investment Summit. “Maybe you need a minister of anti-regulation?” Schmidt said to Prime [...]
Let’s be honest… the Conservatives are deluded October 3, 2024 The Conservative Party is enjoying the sugar rush of a leadership campaign, but the grim reality of opposition will soon sink in, says Matthew Lesh The vibe at the Conservative Party conference this week in Birmingham was chipper. Well-lubricated members excitedly shuffled between drinks receptions headlined by the four leadership contenders. There were impromptu rallies, [...]
Let’s be honest… the government is gaslighting us on working from home September 19, 2024 Given the public sector’s appalling productivity record , the government should get its own house in order before giving out working from home advice to private businesses, says Matthew Lesh There is an irony in government ministers telling private enterprises how to be more productive. This week, Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds claimed that creating a [...]
Playing nice with trade unions won’t fix public services September 5, 2024 With trade unions promising further strike action despite generous pay settlements, Labour have found themselves in a bind of their own making, say Matthew Lesh Throughout the election campaign, Keir Starmer repeatedly pledged to end strikes by engaging in constructive dialogue with the unions. This always sounded like a pretty hollow promise. How could simply talking to [...]
Let’s be honest, Elon Musk is right to defend free speech August 15, 2024 Blaming communications for unrest has a long and unhappy history. We repeat it at our peril, writes Matthew Lesh
Let’s be honest, China’s economy is suffocating under President Xi August 1, 2024 President Xi’s protectionist policies and hostility to foreign investors mean China is no longer the country to bet on for growth – and that’s a lesson for the West too, says Matthew Lesh Prior to entering government, Foreign Secretary David Lammy said the Conservatives’ approach to China was excessively confrontational and inconsistent. He reportedly now [...]
Let’s be honest – the King’s Speech was full of empty symbolism July 18, 2024 The pomp and ceremony of the state opening of parliament is one thing, but hollow gestures are not a good basis for policy making, says Matthew Lesh The pomp and ceremony returned to Westminster yesterday. A real-life King arrived at Parliament in a horse-drawn carriage and sat on a throne. Several dozen people were wearing [...]
