London has been resuscitated post-Covid and ambition will always keep cities alive The rumours of London’s demise have been greatly exaggerated. The pandemic has been linked to the decline, if not the death, of cities. This seemed practically inevitable as we were ordered to “stay at home” and city centres turned into glass and concrete ghost towns. Bans on socialising and the closure of businesses led many [...]
Opinion-in-brief: A real Australian-style points system would fill the gaps The shortage of HGV drivers has led to chaos at petrol stations, empty supermarket shelves and McDonald’s running out of milkshakes. Now, animals are being culled because of a lack of butchers and care homes are struggling to fill vacancies. Christmas, once again, is in peril. Britain voted to leave the European Union to “take [...]
Opinion: Geronimo cannot be saved without sacrificing the UK’s food standards Opinion: A Geronimo reprieve would imperil the UK's future trade prospects It’s August and an alpaca craze has overtaken British politics. After a chaotic few years banging on about Brexit and Covid, this summertime story has captivated the nation. Officials have ordered Geronimo, an alpaca imported from New Zealand, to be put down after twice testing positive for bovine tuberculosis. But alpaca owner, Helen Macdonald, claims [...]
Arcane taxes on junk food is all pain with almost no benefit July 16, 2021 Some people are born lucky. They can eat junk food all day long without putting on any weight. Others develop rolls of fat after a few packets of crisps. The former can live blissfully without these concerns. The latter must struggle every day – either with obesity or self-control and exercise – to stay in [...]
Queen’s Speech: Planning reforms are badly needed but must also deliver for London’s hopeful homeowners May 11, 2021 The Queen’s Speech will include the biggest overhaul of England’s planning system in seventy years. The country will be split into “growth” and “protection” zones – with a potential third “regeneration” designation. Growth areas will have limited restrictions on development while building in protection areas will be restricted. The zones are to be designated by [...]
Budget 2021: Tax hikes are the same as austerity and will spell Rishi Sunak’s downfall March 2, 2021 Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s budget marks the beginning of a damaging era of austerity that risks crushing Britain’s economic recovery. While other countries are trying to jumpstart their economies, Rishi is expected to ratchet up income and corporate taxes to address the mounting deficit. The Chancellor is right that Britain’s fiscal position is not sustainable. It [...]