If the ONS can’t measure productivity, how are we meant to improve it? April 23, 2025 The ONS's shortcomings are far from trivial, its bad maths is holding back the UK economy, writes Paul Ormerod.
Bankrupt, rat-infested Birmingham shows why local government matters April 23, 2025 With local elections across much of England, it’s time we took regional accountability much more seriously, says Simon Clarke Next Thursday, there are local elections across much of England. For many people, these events will pass them by entirely. For others, they will be purely an opportunity to send a message about national politics: it [...]
Heathrow is the world’s most expensive airport, so why is it so bad? April 23, 2025 Heathrow has yet again to rank in the top 20 in the world’s airport rankings. It’s time for a complete regulatory overhaul to give Londoners the hub they deserve, says Nigel Wicking At an awards ceremony in Madrid, news travelled fast that Heathrow, the UK’s only hub airport, had yet again failed to take a [...]
There is such a thing as good growth April 23, 2025 The unbridled pursuit of more can be irresponsible at best, and exploitative at worst, but the upcoming generation of entrepreneurs understands that growth isn’t just about enriching businesses, but enriching society, says Orlando Martins It’s sensible for a business to seek to grow, if for no other reason than the lousy alternative: those that aren’t [...]
Seeing the wood for the trees: Why we shouldn’t mourn every felled oak April 22, 2025 Trees are emotive, as the furore over the Toby Carvery oak and the Sycamore gap prove. But a political obsession with planting trees is getting in the way of proper maintenance of our ancient woodland, says David Cracknell It was last week’s row over the Toby Carvery oak that got me thinking again about the [...]
Scunthorpe needs private investment more than state support April 22, 2025 We’ve heard a lot about nationalising British Steel but a lot less about how to unlock the growth and private investment that can help towns like Scunthorpe stand on their own two feet, says Emma Revell The first broadcast interview I ever did was about steel. It was 2019, Jeremy Corbyn and John McDonnell were [...]
The Notebook: Investors should look to Ukraine April 22, 2025 European capital is flowing into Ukraine’s recovery — and early investors willing to navigate the risks stand to reap the rewards, says Michael Martins I was in Brussels a little over a week ago for the European and Ukrainian business summit, supporting clients exploring investment opportunities in Ukraine. I frankly did not know what to [...]
Ignore the climate alarmism – the biggest polluter is poverty April 22, 2025 Instead of being scared by sensationalist rhetoric into spending trillions on policies that won’t work, we should remember the remarkable progress nations have made on the environment as they have become richer, says Bjorn Lomborg As we mark Earth Day, it’s tempting to believe that the world is on the brink of environmental collapse. We [...]
The mixed legacy of Pope Francis, the Slum Bishop April 21, 2025 Catholics looked to the late Pope Francis to address enormous questions about the Church, and he wrestled with many of them, but at his death it seems that he provided definitive answers to very few, says Eliot Wilson Pope Francis, who died on Easter Monday aged 88, led the Catholic Church for 12 years. A [...]
After British Steel, what else will the government nab for national security? April 21, 2025 The potential nationalisation of British Steel in the name of 'national security' must make us ask what the government will justify next, writes Eliot Wilson.