Labour is now the party of welfare, not work
Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves have gone into bunker mode. The pair – whose political fortunes are so tightly bound…
Young people are fleeing Britain
Net migration has fallen to its lowest level in four years. Figures released this morning show that 204,000 more people…
Rachel Reeves’s Budget is a shambles
What we have seen today is unprecedented. The entire list of Budget measures announced by Rachel Reeves – along with…
How bad will Rachel Reeves’s Budget be?
After a needlessly long run-up, Budget day is finally here. Investors, bond traders and house builders are breathing a collective…
The greatest threat to the economy? The Employment Rights Bill
On Monday night, former England manager Gareth Southgate joined MPs and philanthropists for an event in Westminster described as ‘the…
Britain will never clear its debts
It’s hard to think of a more shambolic budget than the one Rachel Reeves will deliver next week. His Majesty’s…
The net migration debacle is a blunder too far for the ONS
Another day at the Office for National Statistics (ONS), another apparent data mishap – this time on net migration figures.…
Reality Check: Britain’s data is broken
There were cheers in the Treasury in September when statisticians found an unexpected £2 billion ‘down the back of the…
Rachel Reeves is killing the jobs market
Britain’s unemployment rate has hit 5 per cent – the highest level since the pandemic. Figures, just released by the…
The Bank of England blames Rachel Reeves for pushing up prices
The Bank of England has held interest rates at four per cent. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) voted five to…
Datageddon: Britain’s stats have become dangerously unreliable
There were cheers in the Treasury last month as the nation’s statisticians discovered a spare £3 billion down the back…
Should Reeves raise income tax?
Rachel Reeves is reportedly looking at a 2p increase in income tax. The hike to the basic rate – paid…
Introducing: Reality Check
I’m delighted to announce the launch of my new podcast and newsletter Reality Check. In each episode I’ll cut through…
Steady inflation gives Reeves some reprieve
Prices are still rising fast. The Consumer Prices Index rose by 3.8 per cent in September – the same pace…
Who’s to blame for Britain’s slowing economy?
The economy is slowing down. GDP grew 0.3 per cent in the three months to August. As ever, services propped…
How Rachel Reeves can escape the doom loop
Rachel Reeves is trapped in an economic ‘doom loop’: high debt, low growth and higher debt again. But, as pessimists’…
What happened to Reform’s Doge?
When Linden Kemkaran (formerly of The Spectator) was elected leader of Kent County Council, she presented herself as the poster-child for…
Are the Tories really the party of ‘fiscal prudence’?
The message the Tories want you to leave their conference with is that they are the party of prudence. The…
When will Rachel Reeves deliver on her promises?
Security, security, security was the message from Chancellor Rachel Reeves as she addressed the Labour party today in Liverpool. A…
Will Labour MPs stand for Rachel Reeves’ benefits crackdown?
When the Chancellor speaks at Labour party conference later today she has a tough message to deliver. Rachel Reeves will…
What is Andy Burnham talking about?
Andy Burnham is worried about becoming Liz Truss. In an interview deemed so important it currently appears on the New…
The problem with removing the child benefit cap
Despite having a £30 billion fiscal hole to fill Rachel Reeves might be about to splash the cash. If reports…
Rachel Reeves only has ugly choices
Rachel Reeves should shift the tax burden away from workers and onto those who take most from the state: our…
Rachel Reeves doesn’t get the interest rate cut she was hoping for
The Bank of England has held interest rates at 4 per cent. Threadneedle Street’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) voted seven…
Britain is in a fresh cost of living crisis
Prices are continuing to rise. Consumer inflation stayed at 3.8 per cent last month – matching the figure recorded in July…
