Faith has a place in politics December 24, 2024 Many political arguments are about values and religion lies at the heart of many moral arguments – whether we realise it or not, says Bartek Staniszewski “May they never lead the nation wrongly through love of power,” prays the Speaker’s Chaplain – with questionable efficacy – as the House of Commons begins to sit each [...]
Harry Potter’s wizarding world is an authoritarian dystopia December 23, 2024 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 [...]
Will Trump mean more American expats coming to the UK? December 22, 2024 As leaders sit on the edge of their seats, bracing for the impact of Trump’s tariffs, they may find an offset – albeit a slight one – in the form of American expats joining their economies, says Bill Sedat Frater Reflecting on the US elections, it’s hard to ignore the role tax policy played in [...]
Digital skills are key to staying connected at Christmas December 20, 2024 The generation that invented the web should not be isolated from its possibilities, says Victoria Johnson A 65 year-old today was 30 when the world wide web launched. It is this generation who have contributed most to the development of the technology that underpins life as we know it today. And while ONS data shows they are [...]
Why you shouldn’t give to charity this Christmas December 20, 2024 You wouldn’t make all of your investment decisions in the last few days of the year, but that’s when most people make their charitable donations. It’s not effective philanthropy and it doesn’t help the charities themselves either, says Gilad Tanay It’s Christmas season. In London, that generally means a few things: last-minute present shopping, filling [...]
If we want more women-led businesses we need more female angel investors December 19, 2024 For women-led businesses, female angel investors play a critical role in helping them take off. This is exactly what we need to strive for; an investment landscape that reflects society, says Hannah Bernard Startup founders and investors are the two sides of the entrepreneurship coin. Anyone who cares about entrepreneurs, should also care about the [...]
Does Britain care more about bats than people? December 19, 2024 For each animal saved by the £100m the government spent on a ‘bat tunnel’ for HS2 we could have stopped 76 children dying of malaria. The affair illustrates the state’s total inability to consider trade-offs, says Samuel Hughes Last month saw much discussion of the £100m ‘bat tunnel’ built for HS2. There are several morals [...]
Bleak midwinter for the economy? It could be worse… December 19, 2024 The political and economy outlook for the UK may seem gloomy, but spare a thought for our European counterparts, says Tim Sarson It’s the last working week of 2024 for many of us. I’ll be switching off the laptop on Friday afternoon and packing up for what I hope is a restful Christmas break, give [...]
Devolution will give London the powers it needs to thrive December 19, 2024 The government’s plans for a new era of devolution means three things for London, all of which have the potential for the better and for good, says Sadiq Khan When the late, great John Prescott outlined his vision for a Mayor to lead our capital, he said it would “provide a choice and a voice [...]
The class divide: Why social mobility is the missing piece in DEI December 19, 2024 Any DEI framework that’s focused on ethnicity but silent on the messy realities of social mobility risks letting down the very people it’s trying to champion, says Eliza Filby A couple of months ago I was running a workshop for trainees at an international law firm in the UK helping bright Gen Z recruits integrate [...]