COVID-19
— The COVID inquiry was shown Whatsapp chats from the early days of the pandemic in which cabinet secretary Simon Case said government decision-making made it look like a ‘terrible, tragic joke’.
COVID-19
— The COVID inquiry was shown Whatsapp chats from the early days of the pandemic in which cabinet secretary Simon Case said government decision-making made it look like a ‘terrible, tragic joke’.
COMMENT
— What is the purpose of Rishi Sunak’s Government deploying a notably smaller naval task group in the Middle East compared to the United States, if not to project a larger presence on the international stage?
COVID-19
— ONS, ZOE app, Google Trends… there were many ways to keep an eye on COVID cases during the pandemic. Here’s how they fared.
Long-Read
— The influence of Brexit on the Conservative Party has bolstered populism and pushed the party further from moderate conservatism towards the influence of Nigel Farage, which is characterised by detachment from reality and ideological purity.
UK Politics
— Suella Braverman’s attack on immigrants followed the government’s failure to deliver the promised strategy to teach English.
Cost of Living Crisis
— Governmental support is failing the country’s most vulnerable households. Politicians need to act now.
Immigration
— Labour’s immigration policy emphasises border security and targeting smuggling gangs, aiming to win back “red wall” voters concerned about immigration. Labour’s strategy can talk tough on security while not demonising migrants themselves, offering a nuanced position.
Food
— Misinformation is a challenge, but the success of the UK’s sugar tax suggests the feasibility of a tax on food. If implemented effectively, a meat tax could tackle health and environmental issues.
UK Politics
— In a new podcast, former chancellor George Osborne and former shadow chancellor Ed Balls have revealed how their parties collaborated on devising some of the most damaging policies of the past 20 years.
UK Politics
— The prime minister has acknowledged that a narrative of national decline is setting in – but he has been unable to disentangle himself from it.
UK Politics
— The Levelling up Department’s own guidance contradicts comments by Transport Secretary Mark Harper at the Conservative Conference.
Immigration
— Suella Braverman has criticised the Refugee Convention, arguing that it is not “fit for our modern age” and should be renegotiated, even though it is thanks to the Convention that people are able to access their human rights and rebuild their lives in safety and dignity.
HS2
— Economists do not have the analytical tools to properly measure the full value of a megaproject. Deciding on whether to pull the plug or not is always a political matter.
Climate Policy
— The government’s unpredictable approach to energy-efficiency has cost progress to net zero before.
Electric Vehicles
— The switch to electric vehicles is already well under way in the UK. Research even suggests it may now be unstoppable – regardless of what the government does.
COVID-19
— The US Government is set to reintroduce a free COVID-19 home testing programme next week. This initiative acknowledges the ongoing threat of COVID-19 variants. After a period where free testing became scarce, the move aims to provide accessible testing options once again.
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