Labour’s election plan is clear. Be as bland as possible and stick to a script full of good intentions on business, economic growth and creating jobs. They will stay clear of Brexit and Europe, culture war issues (like how to define a woman), and big questions of public service reform (will or won’t they encourage […]
Just outside Austin Texas, a 10 minute drive from the international airport and 25 minutes from the Texan capitol building, a 10m sq ft factory sits nestled against the Colorado River. Giga Texas is the headquarters of Tesla, Elon Musk’s electric vehicle company. The business is valued (as of 30 Oct) at $618bn. It already […]
This series of articles began long before Theresa May announced her resignation. Now that the Tory leadership contest is well and truly underway, it is clear one of the key battlegrounds will be who is best placed to remake the case for the market. In Boris Johnsons’ words, who can extoll “the merits of free-market […]
The importance of a good education in improving life outcomes cannot be overstated. A good school, passionate teachers and inspiration in the classroom can break the cycle of inter-generational poverty that is still all too common in Britain. For a child growing up in a low-income household and neighbourhood, with a single workless parent, exposed […]
The Centre for Social Justice recently released an in-depth survey of people across Britain that found family breakdown was one of the most significant determinants of poor life outcomes. When someone experiences trauma in childhood, linked to an unhappy home life of familial conflict, doubled the probability of someone experiencing homelessness, doubled the probability of […]
There is no doubt we live in exceptional political times. What happens in Parliament this week will be of huge significance to Britain’s future. However, amidst Brexit I fear we have lost sight of policy and politics on what really matters, namely improving the life chances and opportunities of the most disadvantaged people in Britain. […]
It is almost universally accepted among British policymakers that worker skills and retraining are essential for the British economy to thrive in the future. Fourth Industrial Revolution technology such as robots, AI, and big data algorithms are expected to make more than a third of the current workforce redundant by 2030. Employers are increasingly using […]
This morning, from a Jobcentre in Kennington, Amber Rudd delivered her first major speech as Secretary of State for Work and Pensions. The top line takeaway that will be carried by most media outlets will focus on her decision to reverse the two-child cap on benefits for existing claimants. Few people will disagree with this. […]
Today, London contributes nearly a third of UK GDP. In the late 1990s it was less than 15 per cent. Despite being home to just 13 per cent of the population, it contributes a dramatically outsized share of national output. London saw a 49 per cent increase in jobs located in the city between 1996 […]
Reading any economic section of a newspaper today, you will be met with a blend of positivity in light of the recent wage inflation, but also a harsh dose of fatalism as commentators predict robots will take the place of humans in a future where mass unemployment is the norm. The natural gift most journalists […]
There is an alarmist belief that western economies are careering towards an era of mass unemployment as robots, AI and Fourth Industrial Revolution technology replaces workers. Dr Carl Frey and Professor Michael Osborne from Oxford University used an algorithm to predict the computerisation of different roles within an economy and forecasted that almost half of […]
This weekend, the Conservative Party will convene in Manchester for their annual conference. Amid the humdrum of gossip and conjecture, conference remains a good opportunity to engage in a meaningful policy discussion and announce forward-thinking proposals for the new political year. One area in dire need of attention is the devolution agenda, launched under the […]
The UK has a productivity problem. And the pursuit of productivity matters for the poorest. It is often considered a high-level topic, but tackling it properly will make the biggest difference to those from the most disadvantaged communities. Prior to the financial crash of 2008, the UK consistently recorded productivity growth rates above international comparisons. […]
