Harry Potter’s wizarding world is an authoritarian dystopia Opinion Secret police, slavery and mass indoctrination of children – Harry Potter’s wizarding world is a greatest hits of repressive regimes, says Sam Fowles Here’s a fun Christmas party game: name your favourite fictional authoritarian state. Is it George Orwell’s “Airstrip 1”? Margaret Atwood’s New England? Or perhaps (whisper it) JK Rowling’s “wizarding world”? It’s better [...]
The truth about non-crime hate incidents Opinion Don’t believe the conspiracy theories, recording non-crime hate incidents is vital to effective policing, says Sam Fowles I’m constantly amazed by how so many people without “free speech” manage to get their views on the front page of the Telegraph. Getting “cancelled” seems to almost guarantee a national platform. This week’s “threat” is “non-crime hate [...]
Trump’s victory: Why Americans chose the man who impoverished them Opinion US voters chose to elect a President who made them materially poorer not richer. Sam Fowles investigates why.
A radical, redistributive Budget putting Britain on the right track October 30, 2024 Rachel Reeves has delivered one of the best Budgets in 14 years that will make people better off, says Sam Fowles Rachel Reeves just delivered one of the best, and most radical, Budgets in 14 years. She’s not a natural public speaker. But, after 14 years of smarmy PR men at the despatch box, she [...]
Making work pay is good for growth October 17, 2024 Don’t listen to populist outcry over the Employment Rights Bill, all the evidence shows protecting workers from exploitation is good for the economy, says Sam Fowles Labour workers’ rights reforms have prompted predictable howls of outrage. The Employment Rights Bill, apparently, “injects fear” into business and will “damage British competitiveness”. Ironically, the most hysterical wails [...]
The ECHR is a vital guarantor of our freedom October 3, 2024 Far from endangering our freedoms, the ECHR makes the individual, not the state, the centre of the international order, says Sam Fowles An immutable law of modern politics is that the louder a politician bloviates about “freedom” the more authoritarian they will be in power. The last government waxed lyrical about “freedom of speech” then [...]
Building on the green belt won’t fix the housing crisis September 5, 2024 Labour’s plans to relax protection for the green belt will incentivise developers to build expensive houses for commuters while leaving city centre brownfield sites to rot, says Sam Fowles Labour has put solving the housing crisis front and centre, promising to build 1.5 million new homes by the end of the parliament. But its key [...]
Enough with the hysteria, NHS pay rises make us all richer August 22, 2024 NHS pay rises have sparked apocalyptic headlines, but a better public sector makes us all richer, writes Sam Fowles.
It’s impossible to understand the riots without discussing austerity August 8, 2024 The UK has forgotten the lessons of the Marshall Plan. Poverty breeds extremism, says Sam Fowles
Will it Work: The best and worst policies of the 2024 election campaign July 3, 2024 Happy Election Eve! To celebrate, here are “Will it Work’s” best and worst policies of the 2024 election campaign.
