Cities around North America are waiting with bated breath as Amazon decides where to place its second headquarters. “HQ2” will be a $5 billion facility, generating 50,000 high-paying jobs. On the shortlist of 20 locations there’s just one non-US city: Toronto, Canada. The tech scene north of the border is quietly booming. In 2016, the […]
As nations come to terms with fragile growth in the so-called “Fourth Industrial Revolution”, the importance of productivity has been brought sharply into focus. The OBR’s gloomy forecast illustrated the extent of the UK’s problems, but we are by no means alone. To varying degrees, nations all over the world – rich and poor – are […]
We’ve heard endless comparisons between Theresa May and the Iron Lady, and lazy parallels are drawn between President Donald Trump and Richard Nixon. But what about Trump and May themselves? You wouldn’t expect the leaders on either side of the Atlantic to have much in common. He a property mogul from Queens who is completely […]
Litter scattered on the streets of Washington DC, many thousands of federal workers unpaid, benefits delayed for veterans, and a cost of billions to the economy. These are just a few of the things which could happen if Congress fails to agree on its $1 trillion spending bill by Friday. Negotiators in the Capitol Hill’s […]
In Japan, around 25 per cent of people are over the age of 65. That is set to rise to 40 per cent by 2060. Meanwhile, the number of babies born there is at its lowest since records began. This isn’t just a problem for Japan. All around the developed world a so-called “demographic time bomb” […]
It’s difficult to enter a room nowadays without being dragged into a discussion about the latest Trump controversy: the Muslim ban, the Wall, the links to Russia, yet another attack on the media. While these are, of course, matters of great concern, there is one issue on Trump’s agenda which towers above everything else in […]
When recovery is slow after an economic crisis, and people feel their livelihoods threatened by political and economic change, there is a tune which plays very well in politics: nativism. Throughout his campaign, Donald Trump’s nativist “America First” message drew vast support. Now that he is in the Oval Office, it is increasingly clear that […]
Never before has a President-elect faced such pertinent questions about his business, and personal interests, colliding with his role in the Oval Office. So on December 15th, Donald Trump will hold a press conference – his first after many months – to outline plans to distance himself from his business empire. Flanked by his lawyers […]
On November 4, 2008, Barack Obama became the first black President of the United States. His message was one of hope, unity and change: “Yes We Can.” Donald Trump’s election was a staggering rejection of President Obama’s legacy. Trump’s was a message of fear, division and a return to what once was. Regardless of Hillary […]
“I will tell you at the time. I’ll keep you in suspense.” In the third and final presidential debate, Donald Trump refused to confirm that he will accept the result on November 8th. In doing so, he not only undermined American democracy, but may well have made a fatal mistake. The Republican candidate’s rejection of […]
Presidential debates are not as significant as the hype would have you believe. From Richard Nixon’s sweating in the first televised debate exactly 56 years ago, to Al Gore’s patronising sighs in 2000, the popular narrative suggests that these moments decide elections. Yet the evidence suggests that even those infamous examples failed to shift opinion […]
When Barack Obama took the stage at a Hillary Clinton rally last week, the Philadelphia crowd erupted into a chorus of “Thank you”, lauding a leader who is as popular as ever among the Democratic faithful. “Save the thanks,” replied the President. “I’m not finished yet.” With the 2016 election approaching its final stages, you […]
A century ago, the immigration debate was not focused on the border with Mexico but a small island just a mile from Manhattan. Instead of Hispanic migrants, the focus of America’s natives was on the millions of Europeans entering their country, 70% of which passed through Ellis Island. Its great hall is truly humbling, with […]
While Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership of the Labour Party has been found wanting several times in the last year, it was not his old-fashioned, unelectable politics which frustrated me in yesterday’s hustings. Instead, my blood boiled when we saw Corbyn put on the spot over whether he had heard of Ant and Dec, and how many Olympic […]
Walking through Washington D.C., it is difficult not to be stirred by America’s capital. Magisterial monuments with the great speeches inscribed on their walls, museums and government buildings fronted by commanding classical columns, and star-spangled banners flying proud at every turn. The image of a White House etched into the dreams of millions of young […]
Hillary Clinton has a communication problem. As she has admitted, the newly-crowned Democratic candidate is a better listener than speaker, which helps explain why her popularity in office is so dramatically higher than when she’s running for it. Therein lies the challenge: how can Hillary hope to win over independents and reluctant Democrats, in a […]
Conventions are exciting affairs. From the roll call of proud state delegates, to the variety of speeches made on stage, the coronation of presidential candidates has a real buzz to it. This time round, though, anticipation has been far higher than usual following the surprise nomination of Donald Trump by the GOP membership. For many […]
Last night, Donald Trump and Governor Mike Pence gave their first interview together ahead of the Republican National Convention this week in Cleveland, Ohio. The GOP’s soon-to-be nominees for President and Vice President appeared on CBS’ 60 Minutes, with viewers given the chance to see the pair interacting for the first time. And it was […]
The United States is still reeling from the tragic events of last Thursday night in Dallas, which followed the horrific killings of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile at the hands of the police. If there was ever a time when the nation was in desperate need of unity, that time has now come. Before the […]
Walking into the office of Sir Simon Burns MP, it soon becomes very apparent who he is supporting in the United States’ presidential election. The walls are lined with posters of Democratic figureheads and slogans from past and present. Pictures taken with Bill and Hillary Clinton proudly surround his desk, and he even wears a […]
