Boris can lead a Conservative council housing revolution January 24, 2020 With Boris Johnson now undisputed world king of the post-Brexit scene, the only relevant policy debates are those going on inside the government itself. These are yielding unusual fruit. Esther McVey, a deep-dyed Thatcherite and an advocate of blue-collar Conservatism, has been arguing for more council housing. The housing minister wants to help those “left [...]
A message from a former Extinction Rebellion activist: Fellow environmentalists, join me in embracing nuclear power June 25, 2020 As the lockdown measures we have become so familiar with over the past three months are slowly eased, discussions are turning to how to move forward with recovering from the economic hit of Covid-19 in a way that also addresses climate change. I have a long history of campaigning on environmental issues, most recently as [...]
TfL bailout conditions published as rescue row rolls on May 29, 2020 Transport for London (TfL) has today published the terms and conditions of its £1.6bn bailout from the government as the row over the rescue package continued. In the letter from transport secretary Grant Shapps, TfL was asked to suspend free travel for under 18s and Freedom Pass holders and reinstate the congestion charge in order [...]
Spending spree could come at a heavy cost February 24, 2020 From the briefings that have been emerging from Downing Street and the Treasury in recent weeks, it is sometimes difficult to remember which party won the last election. Ahead of the Budget, there are reports we could be set for a spending boom to rival Gordon Brown’s pre-election giveaway in 2001 — the very height [...]
HS2 Q&A: Where is the route, how much will it cost and when will it open? January 20, 2020 Today’s forecast that the cost of HS2 could soar as high as £106bn will come as no surprise to close observers of the project. The number, calculated by infrastructure consultant Michael Byng, is in line with Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s prediction last year that the project will come in “north of £100bn”. But the figure [...]
UK PMI: Manufacturing grows at fastest rate in 10 months despite coronavirus February 21, 2020 UK manufacturing grew at its fastest rate in 10 months in February, according to a flash Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) reading, but services fell to a two-month low. According to IHS Markit / CIPS data, manufacturing hit 52.8, up from January’s final rate of 50.1, whilst services fell to 53.3, down from 53.9 last month. [...]
Now Mark Carney sees a silver lining to Brexit February 14, 2020 Mark Carney has said there may be a silver lining to Brexit for the UK economy. Speaking to Reuters, the outgoing Bank of England governor said there are some potential upsides for the economy from Brexit, in marked contrast to some of his previous comments on the decision to leave the EU. “In an environment [...]
‘Serious concerns’ raised over government’s export credit agency July 6, 2020 The government’s export credit agency could be “cutting corners” as it races to finance the post-coronavirus and post-Brexit trade drive, raising “serious concerns” about the UK’s future trading relations, according to a new report. A report released today by anti-corruption campaign group Spotlight on Corruption found that UK Export Finance (UKEF), the UK’s export credit [...]
Best of travel: Conquest, casinos and copious wine in Georgia February 19, 2021 To tide us over until we’re able to travel again, we’re republishing classic travel stories from our archives. Today we revisit Noo Saro-Wiwa’s journey to Georgia, Europe’s most surprising destination. ••• It has been said that Georgians ‘think with European minds and feel with Asian hearts’. Their nation, clamped between Russia and Turkey, is neither [...]
EDF smashes expectations as renewables arm goes from strength to strength February 14, 2020 EDF Energy smashed analyst expectations today as the French utilities giant enjoyed a strong performance from its renewable energy business. The figures The firm’s profit for 2019 was €5.2bn (£4.3bn), almost five times larger than the €1.1bn it posted in 2018. Analysts had predicted a profit of €3bn. Revenue rose four per cent to €71.3bn, [...]