Another cost of living crisis is coming
Britain is heading head first towards another cost of living crisis. Figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS)…
Britian’s public sector wage spiral
Britain is in a wage spiral – though not a traditional one. Instead, job and wage growth is surging in the…
Labour must go further and faster in the North Sea
John Healey stood in front of two giant robotic arms this week and promised to ‘make Great Britain Growth Britain…
Britain is growing. Will Healey mess it up?
There are lots of reasons to seriously worry about the economy at the moment. The price of oil is surging,…
The SNP’s food price cap bill is stupid and cynical
If the first job of a government is national security the second probably ought to be food security. Odd, then,…
Jenny Gilruth was my teacher – the bullying claims don’t surprise me
When I heard that a civil service insider had made bullying allegations against Scotland’s deputy first minister, Jenny Gilruth, I…
Are tax rises coming?
Welcome to kite-flying season. With exactly two months to go until Andy Burnham and John Healey’s first Budget, we’re beginning…
Britain’s books are getting harder than ever to balance
There’s good and bad news in the public finance figures, released by the Office for National Statistics this morning. July…
Inflation hits Burnham’s cost of living pledge
This week, Andy Burnham, in an article about how much he loves buses, declared that he will lead a ‘cost…
Burnham’s jobs apocalypse
Is the Burnham bounce about to fizzle out? This morning has seen the first shaky set of economic figures since…
The wildfires phone notification was hysterical
It’s reassuring to know the government has the ability to live-tweet the slow decline of Britain. We won’t go out…
Britain’s economy is growing – but not enough
Prime Minister Andy Burnham and his Chancellor John Healey are not having a bad start. Sure, there’s trouble ahead: the…
Healey shouldn’t repeat the ‘price gouging’ dog whistle
Our supermarkets are showing remarkable restraint. The previous Chancellor and now the new one can’t resist slandering them. In an article for The…
Are the rich still fleeing Britain?
One of the first magazine cover pieces I wrote as economics editor was: ‘Go – Why the Rich Are Fleeing Britain’.…
The Bank of England’s rate hold is good news for John Healey
Energy prices have been on the rise again in recent weeks and fears of another inflationary shock are, again, on…
The madness of crowds is keeping markets afloat
‘I’m done with Trump,’ fumed a normally MAGA-supportive retail trader as he watched an investment that was particularly Hormuz-sensitive collapse.…
Healey must fix the ONS
If John Healey wants to succeed as Chancellor, he needs to get a grip on the Office for National Statistics…
How long can this inflation story last for Burnham?
Figures released this morning by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show inflation fell to 2.6 per cent in June…
John Healey’s nightmare first day as Chancellor
John Healey has been hit with a triple whammy on his first full day as Chancellor of the Exchequer. The…
Andy Burnham would be mad to introduce rent controls
Andy Burnham’s government could be entertaining to watch but disastrous for the country. Reports suggest that one of the options…
Shut up about your disability
Britain is crippled. More of us than ever before are disabled. One in four, at the last count. But it…
Waving goodbye to Rachel Reeves
Rachel Reeves last night made what is surely her final Mansion House speech to the business bigwigs, obscure liverymen and…
‘It’s going to make Liz Truss look like a savant’: Are you ready for Burnham’s first Budget?
If I were Andy Burnham, I’d be terrified about the inheritance Keir Starmer has left. Yet instead of stepping gingerly…
Why Andy Burnham could be tempted by a snap election
Andy Burnham has catapulted his way back to Westminster in a landslide victory, winning 55 per cent of the vote…
The cost-of-living crisis is not over yet
Unsurprisingly, the Bank of England has voted to keep interest rates at 3.75 per cent. The Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee…
