We’ve been building since 1886 – the planning system is the worst it’s ever been June 18, 2025 Delays in the UK planning system – down to brick colour and tile choices – are stalling housing delivery. We need 3,000 new planners and faster approvals to meet national housing goals and boost economic growth, says Tim Roberts When Britain is in the midst of a housing crisis you don’t, as a house builder, [...]
The City needs a Thatcher-style revolution June 18, 2025 Fifty years after Thatcher took charge, Canada faces a crisis of confidence and capital— and only bold, radical reform in her spirit can revive its global standing, says Tim Focas Hard to believe, but it is 50 years since Margaret Thatcher took the helm of the Conservative Party. Though her tenure as [...]
Labour is locking Britain into a high-tax, low-growth doom loop June 18, 2025 Tax, borrowing, the cost of borrowing, unemployment and inflation are all going up, while growth is going down. Yet in the face of this, Labour’s instinct is to tax more, spend more and centralise more, says Simon Clarke When in a big hole, muddle the figures so nobody can understand them. That’s what Paul Johnson [...]
Death, taxes and family feuds: Why the UK’s courts are flooded with inheritance tax disputes June 17, 2025 With the rising cost of living, more and more people are relying on inheritance for their financial stability – and much more willing to go to court over a will, says Scott Taylor In an unsettling new trend, approximately 40 per cent of British adults are willing to consider challenging a will in court if [...]
Are Brexit Britain and Carney’s Canada a dream match? June 17, 2025 As Carney balances political principles with market realities, post-tariff Canada could learn from Brexit Britain, writes Michael Martins.
Welfare, debt and the NHS: Our public finances are on the road to ruin June 17, 2025 Portugal is a fine country with plenty going for it, as an increasing number of Brits seem to be discovering. Just under 50,000 people moved there from the UK in 2023/34, up from 45,000 the previous year. These expats may or may not be aware that the country they’ve moved to (well-functioning, democratic, competitive and [...]
Liquid Glass launch shows Apple is cautious on AI June 17, 2025 Apple's headline 'liquid glass' announcement at WWDC shows the tech company is deliberately cautious on AI, writes Paul Armstrong.
Britain can’t afford to spend £24,000 on every adult June 17, 2025 The UK is on track to spend £1.5 trillion per year, with much of the increase driven by debt interest, health and welfare costs, says Emma Revell Back in 2021, my colleagues at the Centre for Policy Studies think tank published an extraordinary briefing. It showed that by 2025/26, the British state was set to [...]
The productivity puzzle: Why Britain has plenty of capital but no capital spending June 17, 2025 Despite holding £1.9 trillion in financial wealth, the UK has failed to invest in its future, leaving a generation stuck with 20-year-old productivity and pay, say Andrew Allum and Jack Duckworth When Warren Buffett announced his retirement last month, he had created many billions, and many memorable quotes such as “Someone’s sitting in the shade [...]
Trump’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ is bad news for Britain June 17, 2025 A hidden clause in Trump’s latest bill could slap UK investors with steep new taxes, threatening transatlantic capital flows and global economic cooperation, says Matthew Bowles United States President Donald Trump’s latest legislative behemoth has sent shockwaves through Washington. Dubbed “a disgusting abomination” by Elon Musk and greeted with scepticism by Republican Kentucky Senator, Rand [...]