Teaching unions may come to regret Ofsted reforms September 3, 2024 Abolishing one-word Ofsted judgements could be a good thing, but not for the reasons the government says, writes David Thomas The government has abolished single-word Ofsted judgments. For now schools will get grades for each of the four sub-categories currently in use, and from next year they’ll be replaced by a report card. Unions are [...]
Are young people losing faith in the NHS? September 2, 2024 When it comes to private healthcare, young people are revealing a welcome preference for choice One of the most revealing moments in Labour’s policy-lite election campaign was when Keir Starmer insisted he would never use private healthcare for himself or a family member. For the Labour leader, the NHS is a matter of identity upon [...]
Starmer’s in power, but is he in control? September 2, 2024 Labour MPs barely had time to gather for a group photo in Westminster before the summer recess started and they were packed off back to the constituencies. The lucky ones may even have made it abroad for a holiday. Today, when they file back into the Parliament and cram themselves onto the government benches in [...]
The Notebook: How I (almost) managed to get the 1p coin scrapped September 2, 2024 Former Treasury comms chief James Chapman reminisces on the time he (almost) managed to scrap the penny - and why we should persist now.
The City’s first Pepys Day commemorates a great Londoner and a resilient capital September 2, 2024 Samuel Pepys fundamentally shaped how we think about the City, let's celebrate him this Pepys day, writes Lord Mayor Michael Mainelli.
Sometimes, the right CEO is worth a private jet September 2, 2024 Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol has attracted controversy for commuting by private jet, but in an increasingly complicated global business environment it can take sky-high perks to attract the right talent, says Katie Sharpe Finding the perfect CEO in the corporate world is a mission that requires as much creativity as it does mere financial resources. [...]
Curing cancer and cleaning our oceans? Here’s why I’m betting on biotech September 1, 2024 Something that can cure cancer and clean our oceans? Biotech sounds too good to be true, but some things really are just like magic, writes Andrew Craig.
Private equity stands ready to help the government deliver growth August 30, 2024 Private capital backed British businesses to the tune of £20bn last year, but with the right tax and regulatory environment there’s even more we could do, says Michael Moore The fastest growth in the G7. If that sounds ambitious, that is because it is. This level of economic growth, promised by the new Labour government, [...]
Why we bought a decommissioned nuclear power station August 30, 2024 Seventy years since a Brit first split the atom, it’s time to re-energise our nuclear industry and reclaim leadership in the technology of the future, says Lord Grade Down an unassuming country lane in Gloucestershire, out of the market town of Berkeley and toward the Severn Estuary, lies the site where Britain’s next nuclear power [...]
Starmer’s illiberal smoking restrictions are just the start August 29, 2024 Freedom cannot be entirely indexed to smoking, but an administration’s approach to tackling it says a lot about how they plan to govern, says Joseph Dinnage Imagine you and your colleagues have just finished a day of graft on the trading floor and you’re all looking to relax. What to do? You all rightly decide [...]